Ayame Zero Not
by Jaenera Targaryen
Summary: Spin-off of Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies. Decades into the future, Ayame comes home and accidentally visits Ahnenerbe. As a result, she ends up being sent to the past, before the beginning of Fate/Zero. But if that's the case, then the Black and White Magician will just have to leave her mark.
1. Part I

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part I

"Ah…it feels good to be back."

Ayame Emiya stretched her arms overhead while walking down a street, all of her thirty plus years weighing down on her…well, not really. Maybe ten years ago it would have but now?

Well, prolonged use of magecraft of any sort changed one's body, usually on a genetic level, attuning one and one's descendants to their specialization in magecraft. In a way, it gave one reason why magi were so asinine about their bloodlines, not that it – or any other reason for that matter – justified how all too many magi were apathetic assholes to say the least or complete monsters that would make Doctor Mengele or Surgeon-General Shirou Ishii blush with envy.

More to the point though, the more profound one's magecraft was, the more it changed one's body. Magi-turned-vampires were the extreme example of that, where they had come to embody their mysteries to the point that they stopped being Human at all, though there were less extreme examples as well.

One of those was Ayame: after decades of using fairy magic, her eyes had mutated into a weak form of Mystic Eyes of Enchantment, complete with gold-colored irises where once they'd been blue. Not that she minded of course: one less reminder that she had originally been born of the accursed Tohsaka lineage.

And her hair: what had once been a bleached white had turned blonde, much to her irritation. Her father, Kiritsugu Emiya had once described her bleached white hair as like the snow, so for it to turn blonde out of her continued use of fairy magic was an annoyance to say the least. That said, she didn't do anything about it either, despite the temptation.

It might annoy her patrons and allies, after all. Not a wise thing to do.

However, the best change that use of fairy magic had given her was that it somehow delayed the aging process. Despite nearly being forty, Ayame looked no older than twenty-five, and she got the feeling that would be the case for a long while yet…much to the irritated jealousy of her blonde and brunette relatives/nemeses, who while capable of using magic to live longer, could not actually prevent the aging process from showing.

At least not without, as Lord El-Melloi II once described it, "becoming guinea pigs for anti-aging potions". Those were notoriously unreliable, which explained the lord's description.

That…or perhaps because they'd had children in their late twenties, it made them look more matronly far sooner than they ought to.

A gaggle of teenagers walked by, whispering among themselves and looking approvingly at Ayame and her witch outfit. "Wow, look at that." One of them whispered. "A Marisa Kirisame cosplay."

"It's very good too." Another one said.

"No kidding," a third said. "And Touhou? Man, that franchise is a legend. Even though the creator's been dead for a while now, it just won't go away."

"I hope not." The second teen said. "I couldn't imagine legends like Remi, Reimu, or Yukari just fading away…"

" _Cosplay?_ " Ayame thought to herself with a sad smile. " _Well, I guess it's a good enough an excuse to go around dressed like a witch…Illya…_ "

Sighing, Ayame turned a corner and feeling her stomach grumble entered the closest café. Looking around, she found the café interior to be rather old-fashioned, the floors paneled in wood, and the round tables and their sturdy chairs also likewise made from wood.

The bar counter also seemed to be made from wood, and the wallpapered walls decorated with ornamental plates, displays, and even paintings. Small ones, but paintings still for all that. Together with the deliberate-seeming, smoky half-light of the interior, the café had a charming, old world air to it.

Compared to the sleek lines and sharp geometries typical of twenty-first century architecture, this was a breath of fresh air.

A waitress approached, bowing to welcome Ayame in. Ayame bowed back, politely. "Table for one, please." She said.

"Of course," the waitress said. "Over here, please."

Ayame followed, sitting at the designated table, and after a couple of moments the waitress returned with a menu. Bowing, she then left Ayame to consider the offered options. Ayame perused the menu for a few minutes, and then closed it.

Gesturing for the waitress, the young woman arrived with pen and paper to take Ayame's orders. "I'll have a roast beef sandwich, and an iced coffee." Ayame ordered, and the waitress nodded while jotting down Ayame's orders.

"Very good, ma'am." The waitress said. "That's one order of the roast beef sandwich, and one order of the iced coffee."

Ayame nodded, and the waitress nodded as well. "Very good, ma'am," she said. "Your orders will be ready within ten to fifteen minutes."

Ayame nodded again, and with a bow, the waitress took the menu and left.

* * *

Something was wrong.

The moment Ayame left the café after her early lunch, her instincts began screaming at her that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. Looking around her with narrowed eyes, Ayame didn't see anything out of the ordinary…at least at first.

And then things began jumping out at her. Small things…like that rather clunky cellphone a salaryman was talking into down the street, then the advertisement on a truck that passed by showing a corporate emblem that she knew had been changed in the early 2010s, and then there were the cars.

Or even the truck for that matter…they were all gasoline or diesel-powered, something that was no longer all that common in the First World – or even in the Third World – since the beginning of the 2020s, what with the Green Revolution leading to a boom in the electric automotive industry. "No…" Ayame said, as she remembered a certain café, which had…strange, reality-bending powers. "No…No…"

Ayame turned and looked up. Her worst fears were confirmed. The name of the café was Ahnenerbe.

"OH NO! NOT AGAIN!"

* * *

Ayame sat on a park bench, in a slump over getting sent flying – figuratively-speaking – across time and space _again_ all thanks to patronizing a certain café. The last time that had happened, she'd had to wander through several timelines before getting back, and only with the help of a certain magician cum vampire.

Granted, most of those weren't particularly bad, except for that one timeline where for some reason everyone was acting like they were participants in a comedy gag, or that one timeline where Fuyuki had turned into something out of _Silent Hill_ and where Ayame was cut off for some reason from the Reverse Side of the World…

Ayame shuddered at the memory, and at those… _things_ , that came crawling out of the shadows in that timeline, chasing her across the ruined city until she could find the ruins of Ahnenerbe and be thrown across timelines again, if only to escape her pursuers.

Sighing, Ayame sat back. "Here we go again, I guess." She muttered to herself, pulling down her hat so that the brim shadowed her face. Closing her eyes, Ayame allowed herself to doze off for who knew how long, only to be awakened sometime later by a loud pop of displaced air.

It was past noon, and the park was getting hot. But there, sitting on the bench beside her, was a folded letter. Ayame stared at it suspiciously, and then looking around picked up a broken twig from the ground nearby and poked at the letter.

Nothing happened. Still cautious, Ayame picked it up and opened it to read.

 _Ahnenerbe again? Black and White, you need to be more aware of where you're going._

 _Zelretch_

"Oh this is very helpful, thank you very much." Ayame snapped sarcastically…not that the magician wasn't wrong…which only made it more frustrating, of course.

There was another pop of displaced air, and another letter was sitting next to Ayame. Again, she poked it with a twig, and when nothing happened, she picked it up to read.

 _Busy with Dagon cultists right now. If I don't do this right, the Counter Force could wipe much of Southern Europe off the map at least, and at worst, this timeline could get time-locked. I'll come over and help out once I'm done here. In the meantime, a piece of advice: make the best of whatever situation you find yourself in. You never know what good might come out of it._

 _Zelretch_

"Well…that is a good point." Ayame said, scratching at her head, before folding the letters and placing them in a pocket. Looking around her, Ayame got up, and walked over to an automated newspaper stand to see when in the world she was. She was still at Fuyuki obviously, but she needed to know more before she could decide what to do next.

Buying a newspaper, Ayame glanced at the date immediately. "December…1993…" she muttered before looking up in thought. "Wait a minute…1993…the war was in 2004…which means…

Ayame grinned, and folding the newspaper Ayame took her hat off and put it inside. She then reached further inside her hat, and pulled out her broomstick. "Time to make some magic." She said with a grin, and blasted off into the sky.

* * *

Ayame soared high and fast, over the skyline of Fuyuki City, past the urban conglomeration and then the suburbs, to the countryside just outside. There, at the outskirts of the city, loomed Mount Enzo. Atop it, sitting on a junction of no less than three ley lines, was Ryuudo Temple.

But Ayame's goal wasn't the temple, it was what lay beneath, feeding off the ley lines like a parasite, deep beneath the mountain: The Greater Grail.

Had it solely been a wish machine, it wouldn't so problematic. However, the Greater Grail had another, more sinister purpose. It's true purpose, in fact. And that was to function as a World Gate, when empowered with the energies of seven fallen Servants, to punch through the limitations of the World and open a path to the Root, the Origin, the Source of All Creation, [].

To reach it was the goal of all magi, an abominable goal for which they committed abominable acts, both on themselves and on others, even to their own children. To both Gaia and Alaya, the collective consciousness of the Earth and of Humanity respectively, it was a crime beyond all comparison to reach the Root, with Counter Guardians and other beings and individuals tasked with killing any and all who were but a step away from reaching it…

…and Ayame was among those.

As a child or even as a teenager, she had not known, but as she had grown, she had learned and accepted the price, the _quid pro quo_ requirement of being allowed to use the power of the fey. First, to hunt down and destroy those few remaining Dead Apostles born of the True Ancestors, mistakes of the past that had escaped the vigilance of the White Princess, second, to hunt down and destroy those magi whose actions would unwittingly lead the World down to destruction…

…and finally, third: to hunt down and destroy those magi and their works, who and which were but two or less steps away from the Root.

And there, before her, was one of them: The Greater Grail.

As she approached Mount Enzo, Ayame narrowed her eyes, already working on a plan on how to fulfil her responsibilities. It was a hard and thankless job, but if she were honest, she enjoyed denying the reason for existence of magi, both because she knew it was right to do so, and because it fulfilled everything her father had taught her about magecraft in a delicious irony.

 _Magecraft is a tool, but it's a tool that shouldn't exist._

As Ayame approached Mount Enzo, she pulled out a pair of glasses, their lenses shaped like stars, and put them on. Numbers and symbols flashed over her sight, and then homed in on a point on the mountainside.

Ayame grinned, and removing her glasses pulled out a hexagonal mystic code, made from orichalcum and engraved with fairy letters in lapis lazuli on both front and back. "METEOR!" Ayame shouted as she pointed the Mini Elemental Furnace at the entrance into the mountain.

A blinding blast of golden light erupted from the mystic code, and lanced deep into the mountain. As the light faded, Ayame tucked the mystic code back into her dress, and then flying up dove down into the underground tunnels. "Glitter, Fairy Lights." She said, fairies appearing around her and forming an invisible field that allowed her to tear through any bounded fields in their way to the heart of the mountain.

In a blur of gold and white, Ayame streaked through the rocky and unlit tunnels, the light of the fairies shining light on that which had not and should not know light, until finally after several minutes, they emerged in an underground cavern, and there before them, was the Greater Grail. A great sphere of golden material, near-perfect but for a cracked façade enfolding around several feminine figures gathered around a single point.

The air was heavy and shaking, the Greater Grail before them saturated with decades of prana leached from the ley lines, ready to begin another Holy Grail War. A silent snarl could be all but heard as the corruption in its heart sensed their presence, but Ayame ignored it, and simply summoned additional fairies.

They flew up and down, golden bolts lashing out and sending plumes of flame and molten rock flying as they severed the Greater Grail's connection to the ley lines, while Ayame flew straight ahead. "Falling Stars in Midsummer!" she shouted, crafting and throwing lances of light at the Greater Grail.

They pierced the sphere, destroying the statuary at its heart, and with a spectral scream the ruined statuary exploded with a blinding flash. Ayame peeled away while closing her eyes and shielding them with a hand, and heading back for the tunnel, picked up speed as the fairies returned to formation around her.

All around her the cavern was beginning to collapse, rocks falling down from the ceiling to the floor, as cracks spread across the dimming Greater Grail, bleeding black blood. And then, as Ayame entered the tunnel and sped away, it exploded, sending a wall of fire and superheated air outwards, and jetting into the tunnel after Ayame.

Ayame largely ignored that, focusing only on flying her broom, on getting out from inside the mountain, and back into the clear and blue skies outside. Casting a series of single-action spells, and adjusting her broom's mysteries, Ayame used the heat of the flames behind her to _push_ her broom, upping her acceleration, but just as she could see the light of the tunnel entrance in the distance, the flames began to catch up, lapping at the fairy shield around her.

Encouragement flashed from the fairies to Ayame and she smiled grimly, the flames surrounding them as the light grew closer and closer…

…until at last, jetting out from the heart of the inferno, Ayame flew out into the clear sky at high speed, yelling and pumping a fist in triumph. Behind her, Mount Enzo shuddered and seemed to bloat, cracks and fissures opening up all over its form and jetting fire, before it collapsed in on itself, sending reverberations all around.

It was over. The Greater Grail had been destroyed, at least in this timeline. Heaven's Feel, would never be again.

Victory was sweet.

* * *

A/N

Another spin-off of _Purified by Fire, Dancing with Fairies_. Shout out to a certain film, kudos if you can figure out which one.

This will be a two, maybe three-shot.


	2. Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part II

Geological personnel both from the city and national governments swarmed Mount Enzo, which had collapsed in on itself and losing a nearly a third of its height in the process. Helicopters from both the media and various government agencies crisscrossed the sky above, while both city policemen and even soldiers from Japanese Self-Defense Force (JSDF) surrounded the mountain, closing off the roads and other approaches on the ground to the mountain.

It wasn't every day that a mountain just literally blew up from the inside, and then collapsed in on itself. At least not in a volcanic way…

…which was probably fortunate, as far as most people were concerned. Considering how close it was to the city, if Mount Enzo had been a volcano and had erupted, the city would likely have been destroyed in minutes…if not less, considering how fast pyroclastic flows could go.

As it was, there were all too many assumptions and possibilities and too little evidence to determine what had caused the incident. The most plausible one was an underground gas pocket which had somehow exploded, though there were still too many holes in the picture for that to be a satisfactory solution.

Naturally, the government didn't even suspect that whatever it was, it involved magic, specifically the explosion of a centuries-old magical artefact, which in turn was based on even older and more profound mysteries than itself. And which had been saturated with enough magical energies to summon Heroic Spirits from the Throne of Heroes, and grant them limited incarnation within the World once more.

And why would they? For one thing, it was an outlandish idea, so much so that anyone bringing it up with immediately be laughed off at best…or sent to the mental hospital at once at worst. For another thing, there was no evidence of such…at least, none that the government people would notice as such.

And finally, even if they did, two magi residing in the city, one of them a centuries-old archmagus (though his ally didn't know this) and vampire even, would immediately take action to turn their thoughts elsewhere. Literally: magic and the supernatural must remain secret no matter the cost after all.

More to the point, both magi were well aware of what had been inside the mountain, and the moment it had exploded, they were both aware of it. The magnitude five earthquake the explosion and the subsequent collapse had caused aside, they had mysteries attuned to monitoring the artefact, the so-called Greater Grail.

Even before the government had arrived, they were there, and even now, with the government all over the place, they were still there. Shrouded by magical means to be sure, but they were there all the same.

"It's no good." Tokiomi Tohsaka said with a broken voice, wearily dropping a precisely-carved pendant of quartz crystal into a wooden box. "The Greater Grail is completely ruined. There's nothing left, or even if there was, we couldn't hope to repair it without first finding what's left…if there even is."

"And we can't find out unless we excavate the whole mountain." Zouken Matou growled angrily. He had been one of the architects of the Holy Grail, literally one of those who had built it in the first place, not that anyone knew that, and had been counting on it to achieve his goal of immortality. For all his plans to go up in smoke like this…

…someone was going to die very painfully for it. _Very_ , _**very**_ painfully.

"What of your familiars, Magus Matou?" Tokiomi asked politely. "Perhaps they might be of use in this matter, in a subtler fashion than outright excavation?"

"True," Zouken conceded. "But it would take time. This mountain is…was, big. The Greater Grail was buried deep underground too. And we can't get too focused on it. There's a chance this may not have been the result of an accident at all."

Tokiomi blinked, and while decades of experience keeping his emotions and their expression in check kept it from showing, there were the faintest hints of alarm in his eyes and in his tone of voice. "You think this was deliberate?" he asked. "That someone deliberately sabotaged the Greater Grail?"

"Yes, I do think so." Zouken said with a nod, fingers tightening over his cane. "I don't have any proof, but I feel it in my bones that's what this is. And when you've lived as long as I have young man, you'll have learned to trust these things."

"Yes, of course." Tokiomi said with a nod. Indeed, he understood the concept of 'feeling' over 'thinking', both as a magus, and as a master of the martial arts. "But…how?"

"How, you ask?" Zouken asked with a raised eyebrow. "The Greater Grail is an incredibly complex system, and by this point in time had stored a truly immense amount of energy. Sabotage would be incredibly easy for any magus worth the title."

"I…see…" Tokiomi said with a slow nod. "But, why? What motive could possibly drive them to do…this?"

Tokiomi paused to gesture over the smoking and ruined bulk of the mountain around them. "And I for one cannot believe anyone who can seriously call themselves a magus would do something like this." He continued. "The Greater Grail being what it is, to destroy such a profound and mysterious artefact, which reaches into the realms of True Magic even…no magus could be able to bring themselves to do such a thing."

Zouken would have rolled his eyes if it weren't so impolite to do such a thing. Not that he really cared, of course, but…appearances. "This assumes a magus was even behind this to begin with." He said, before raising a hand to preempt Tokiomi. "I did mention earlier that any magus could do this, but perhaps I could have worded that better. I should have said that anyone who knew what they were doing could sabotage and even destroy the Holy Grail."

This time, Tokiomi couldn't stop his face from twisting with distaste. "A spell-caster?" he asked with a tone marked by disgust. "Yes, I can see that…but why would they do such a thing? No, there are clearly plenty of possible motives behind this, but which one is truly behind this travesty remains to be seen."

"Have you bounded fields picked up anything or anyone entering the city recently?"

"None, unfortunately." Tokiomi said with a shake of his head. "Of course, there's a small chance I might have missed something, but I will have to check."

"No offense, but if that's the case, then your bounded fields need to improved."

"None taken, and it is well-given advice." Tokiomi said with a nod. "Thinking on it a little bit, it may be that our culprit was able to shroud himself from detection, but even the best shrouds will leave traces of the one beneath it behind. There is no such thing as a completely foolproof disguise or cover, after all. It'll have to take the closest scrutiny to find, but it should be there."

"And…should you find them?" Zouken asked with a low and dangerous voice. "What will you do then?"

Tokiomi's eyes and face were cold as ice. "They will be made to explain themselves, of course." He said just as coldly. "That goes first, without saying."

"And afterwards?"

"They will be made to take responsibility for defiling both an ancient and irreplaceable artefact, and our families' legacy."

Zouken smiled cruelly. "I would be most grateful for the chance to extract my family's pound of flesh when that time comes." He said.

"Of course," Tokiomi said with a nod. "As I said, it's _our_ families' legacy. You have the right to just compensation for damages incurred."

"Well said."

* * *

Ayame sat on a roof in the suburbs, watching through star-shaped glasses at a pair of children playing in the backyard of a large, western-style mansion. " _Hard to think that sweet kid over there will eventually become such a bitter and spiteful woman._ " Ayame thought, focusing on the older of the two children, probably five or six-years old. " _…okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but not by much._ "

Ayame then turned to the other girl. " _So that's Sakura, huh?_ " she thought, watching as she caught a ball and threw it back to her older sister. " _I've never seen her before, but now that I have…I can't let her die as a guinea pig and be turned into literal food for worms this time around. Now then…how to go about it…_ "

Ayame crossed her arms in thought for several moments, and then lay down on the roof to stare up at the afternoon sky. "This is nice." She said, folding her arms behind her head. "The tiles are pleasantly warm, the wind cool, and the sky has a nice color."

Taking off her glasses and placing them in a pocket, Ayame covered her face with her hat and closed her eyes, dozing off within a few minutes. It was hours later when she woke, her breath steaming in the cold winter air, well and deep into the night, the stars twinkling in surprisingly-clear skies overhead.

In the distance though, helicopters could be seen buzzing over the skyline, and in particular over Mount Enzo. There were also plenty of lights there.

"What a hardworking bunch our government is." Ayame remarked while rubbing her arms to get her circulation going. "Right then…"

Getting to her feet, Ayame stretched before pulling out her broom and mounting it. "Time to get to work." She said with a smile, and soared off into the sky.

Making her way across the city, Ayame arrived at the public records office, which given the late hour, was naturally closed. There were security guards in the lobby and the nearby security office, but the roof was unguarded and unwatched. Putting her broom back inside her hat, Ayame casually melted the lock on the service door, and carefully and quietly made her way down into the building.

" _Step one to saving our little sisters,_ " Ayame thought as she crept down the stairs. " _Draw Tokiomi Tohsaka away and far from his house. And to do that, I need a distraction._ "

Again melting a lock to enter the building itself, the corridors and hallways were dark and empty, and while needing to move quietly and wary for any patrols, Ayame made her through the building, following simple directions on wall-mounted panels to reach the land titles and records archive. " _The Tohsaka Clan are the Second Owners of Fuyuki._ " Ayame thought as she melted the lock and slipped into the archive. " _And considering the family is supposed to go back to the Tokugawa Era, I'm certain they have plenty of land and titles to it. That will be enough._ "

Over the next several hours, Ayame pored over the records in the building, jotting down notes on pieces of paper as she found numerous holdings belonging to the Tohsaka Clan. And from there it was a simple matter to concretely put together a plan to get Tokiomi Tohsaka out of his house.

Several times over those hours, patrolling guards noticed the melted lock on the archives and rushed in…only to be persuaded to go away and forget about the encounter through the use of simple and straightforward mental interference. In hindsight…

"… _I should have just gone that way from the very beginning instead of creeping around._ " Ayame sighed as she hypnotized another guard before entering the office of the chief archivist. " _What a waste of time and effort…oh well, no point in crying over spilled milk, I guess._ "

The office was further inside, with the outer office having a desk for the chief archivist's secretary. Ayame held her finger against the desk, and cast a two-layer spell on the desk. The first would reach into the mind of whoever touched the desk, and see whether or not they were the secretary in the first place.

If not, then the real spell wouldn't activate. If they were…

Ayame grinned as she pulled back her hand. "Fake and genuine at the same time," she said. "Magi are so fond of contradictions, so let's see how that son of a bitch likes this one."

Nodding in satisfaction and stifling a yawn, Ayame left the office and then the building itself.

* * *

Ayame sat on a roof in the suburbs, watching through star-shaped glasses the Tohsaka mansion in the distance. By this point, Tokiomi Tohsaka would have received a phone call from the public records office, concerning a series of discrepancies recently uncovered with regard to the family's holdings, and requesting an urgent and immediate face-to-face meeting to resolve them.

" _Now then old man,_ " Ayame thought. " _Will you take the bait or not? If yes, all well and good. If no…then I'll have to come up with another plan while scratching my head._ "

Ayame watched for nearly an hour, as the Sun climbed higher into the sky and the morning grew warmer. The Tohsaka children emerged into the backyard to play in the sunshine, watched over by their mother…and then finally, Tokiomi emerged himself.

Ayame leaned forward, watching as Tokiomi spoke with his wife for a bit, and approaching his daughters and kneeling down spoke to them before sharing an embrace. He disappeared back into the house after that…and several minutes later, after a shiny black car drove up in front of the house, emerged and entered the car to be drive off to the public records office.

" _Part one is done, then._ " Ayame thought, taking one of her pocket watches and looking into the polished glass of its face. " _Five minutes…I'll give five minutes in case Tohsaka doubles back, and then it's on to part two: getting my sisters out of there, long enough for me to work my magic._ "

Ayame blinked, and then laughed in self-mockery. " _Sisters?_ " she thought with bemusement. " _Looks like Edelfelt might be right, I am a hypocrite. I don't care about my lineage or anything and everything that comes with it, and yet here I am, calling Rin and Sakura my sisters and trying to pull off a miracle for their sake. But…it's not about lineage or whatever bullshit and other big words magi throw around. It's about doing what's right, and making a difference when it counts. And making sure two lives which would otherwise get wasted won't this time around counts as a difference, there can't be any doubt about that._ "

Ayame watched as the clock ticked away the minutes, and then putting her pocket watch back into her pocket, nodded. "Show time." She said, pulling out a mirror from her hat and pressing her finger against it. "Behold, the Illusion of the Parallel Mirrors."

The glass rippled like water, and continued to ripple in tune with Ayame's heartbeat. And then the reflection in the mirror closed her eyes…

…and appearing for all the world like an ordinary mailwoman, Ayame jumped off the roof onto the street, and stuffing the mirror inside her again, strolled towards the Tohsaka mansion while whistling a jaunty tune.

Arriving within a few minutes' walk, Ayame pressed the doorbell. She waited for a couple of minutes, and then a maid opened the front door. "Yes, what is it?" she asked.

"Good day," Ayame greeted. "I have some letters here for…Mister Tokiomi Tohsaka, but they need to be signed off on. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"Master Tohsaka is out right now." The maid said while coming closer.

"An authorized representative will be fine." Ayame said.

"Oh I see. Alright then."

The maid stepped closer, and politely opening the front gates, stepped out of the protection and senses of the Tohsaka bounded fields. Ayame smiled, and then her irises began to glow. The maid started, and then her face turned blank.

"Are the children still playing outside?" Ayame asked.

"Yes, they are." The maid said.

"Who is with them?"

"Mistress Aoi is watching them."

"Good…I'll be doing something shortly, but when I'm done, bring the children here. Make sure you aren't noticed by the other servants, and when this is all done, you will remember nothing of this matter."

"As you wish, my lady."

Ayame nodded, and the maid stepped back inside and towards the mansion. As for Ayame, she quickly walked around the property, and stopped just outside the back wall of the property. Over the wall, she could hear children playing, and a woman's voice asking them to not be so rowdy.

"Here we go." Ayame whispered while pulling out a trio of canisters.

" _The bounded fields will detect intruders and – probably on command – shut them out, along with hostile and invasive spells._ " She thought. " _But…considering the way magi tend to think, and how…stupidly orthodox, Tokiomi Tohsaka is, they probably aren't keyed towards non-magical intrusion. If so…then this will be perfect._ "

Twisting the caps on the canisters and reinforcing her arms, Ayame tossed the canisters into and across the backyard. There were curious sounds from inside, followed by the hissing of pressurized gas escaping and the alarmed shouts of children and their mother, the latter quickly turning into coughing and then silence.

Hurrying back to the front, Ayame waited, ready to leave on a moment's notice. A few minutes later and the maid from before returned, Rin and Sakura Tohsaka clutched under her arms.

Ayame nodded and took the children from the maid. "Thank you for your help." She said. "Now go."

The maid nodded and left, while Ayame quickly made her way to a deserted alley. There, her visage rippled like water until she had returned to the aspect she'd worn for decades: The Black and White Magician. Taking out her broom from inside her hat, Ayame mounted it, and placing her sisters securely in front of her, gently but quickly blasted off into the sky.

* * *

A/N

This was longer than expected. I hope it won't be longer than three chapters, but we might get to four. Definitely not longer, though. This should only be a short fic.


	3. Part III

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part III

Ayame landed outside the Einzbern Forest, and leaving her broom – and on it her sleeping sisters – floating a few feet off the ground, approached on foot. " _Let's see,_ " she thought, reaching out with a hand and causing a glowing green mandala to come to life in the air in front of her. " _Will it work?_ "

For a few moments, Ayame stood with a hand on the mandala, commands and knowledge passing from her mind to the Einzbern bounded fields at the speed of thought, and then the Black and White Magician sighed. "Even Einzbern…?" she muttered, looking up at the sky.

 _The rain fell from the darkened sky in loud and heavy sheets, hammering into the grassy fields and stone memorials all around. A white-haired woman dressed in formal, black-colored clothes stood in front of one memorial, the umbrella raised protectively over her head shuddering from the rain._

 _Approching footsteps had blue eyes narrowing. For several moments, two white-haired women stood in silence, but where one was dressed in black, the other was in white. Finally, Ayame Emiya turned._

 _"Sella." She said._

 _The homunculus bowed, and then straightened. "Mistress Ayame." She said, and Ayame's eyes narrowed again._

 _"Why suddenly so deferent?" she asked._

 _"Einzbern is destroyed."_

 _Ayame blinked, and then narrowed her eyes again. "What?" she asked._

 _"The Einzbern family was originally forged to continue the work our makers could not, or had lost the spirit to continue." Sella said. "That was our reason for existence, more so than for most magi. And now that it cannot denied any longer, that our quest, our reason for existing has both failed and is null and void…there is no further reason for Einzbern to continue to exist."_

 _Ayame was silent, her blue eyes staring into Sella's red ones. "I could and would provide details." The latter said. "But they are best said in private, and at your leisure, Mistress Ayame."_

 _"You say Einzbern is destroyed," Ayame said. "And yet here you are. You also haven't answered why you're suddenly addressing me as your mistress."_

 _"Einzbern is destroyed." Sella repeated. "But in Einzbern's eyes, I, and my sister, Leysritt, were failures, meant only to be discarded and the resources gone into our making to be recycled. But thanks to Mistress Illya's mercy and magnanimity, for which no words exist to truly describe, our lives were spared, and given meaning."_

 _Sella paused, and tilted her head forwards. "We are hers." She said softly, before closing her eyes in what was only grief. "I was hers. And you are her sister. If not in blood, then by law and name, and by her own decree and recognition. The only one left of her in this world."_

 _Opening her eyes, Sella sank to one knee. "I offer you my allegiance, my loyalty, my service, and my life." She said, extending a hand on which glowed a single point of blinding bright light. "In token of this, I offer this gift, the key to the knowledge of a thousand years and more, all to repay what must be repaid, the debt I, and my sister, owed to Mistress Illya. Please, I beg of you, accept, and allow what is owed to be repaid, Mistress Ayame Emiya."_

" _Sella,_ " Ayame thought with a sigh, taking off her hat to scratch at her head. " _I need to get back home before she gets too worried. And more to the point…magi. If the codes which I gained over…what, twenty or so years from now, work here and now…really, what lax security. Well, I guess I shouldn't complain, but still…_ "

Sighing again, Ayame replaced her hat before opening the bounded fields of the Einzbern Forest, and attuned them to herself and to her sisters. Then returning to her broom, Ayame mounted it once more, and flying back into the sky, swept over the evergreen treetops to Einzbern Castle…or its annex at least, such that existed in Japan, far from their German homeland.

"Now then," Ayame muttered as she landed in the atrium. "Shall we get to work?"

* * *

The trapdoor opened on the roof of Castle Einzbern, Ayame clambering out and after a brief moment of scrambling for footing on the tiles, planted her hands on her hips while looking out over the fog-shrouded expanse of the Einzbern Forest. Having tucked her sisters into a clean bed in one of the castle's many bedrooms, Ayame had then proceeded to scrounge through the castle's even more numerous storerooms to find children's clothes for them. Old-fashioned ones to be sure, not that Ayame was one to talk, considering she went around dressed like a witch.

Green mandalas came to life around the Black and White Magician, one in front and one each to either side. Ayame largely just glanced over the inner details, as those needed no adjusting, at least for the most part. Several upside-down glyphs were turned the right side up, and several circles turned to align their glyphs and inscriptions with those on the outside.

With every adjustment, the bounded fields around and over the Einzbern Forest shuddered and shifted, growing stronger and gaining new properties as they were set from peacetime protection, to full-on wartime defense mode. And they would grow stronger still, as Ayame erased portions of the outer and inner mandalas, replaced them, and then drew new lines to reconstruct the conceptual network.

"Let's see you break through these wards, magi." Ayame said with a vicious smirk.

Gesturing, Ayame merged the mandalas into one, glowing white composite, its three components revolving opposing to each other. Holding out her hands, Ayame reached out into the Reverse Side of the World, and spoke the familiar words.

"Glitter, Fairy Lights."

Fairy flew out of the golden light between her hands, and flying into the mandala performed their own modifications, turning the lights from white into gold, and then flying out, headed out over the forest. Bounded fields shimmered and shifted yet again, briefly gaining a golden tint before fading into invisibility.

But Ayame wasn't done. Not even close. As fairies took their places in the grand tapestry of magic around the Einzbern Forest, its fabric of mystery already being woven anew and dyed with different colors, Ayame wove the last spell needed to bring change, and breathe freshness to something which by its very nature could _not_ be fresh, vibrant, and alive.

 _I am the one whose voice echoes in the shadows of the world._

 _I am the one who calls to those beyond the looking glass._

 _For what do I call, to those of legend and myth?_

 _The hearts of men are shrouded in shadows woven of their own making,_

 _Lies and delusion clouding the reflections in the water._

 _I would shine a light into the darkness._

 _I would cast away the shroud of falsity._

 _I would have men learn wisdom by opening the eyes to see._

 _And so I ask, to those beyond the looking glass,_

 _Bring forth the Phantasmagoria._

The mandala flashed blinding gold, and in distant Germany, the Einzbern family, already panicking at their recent detection of the Greater Grail's destruction, panicked anew as they sensed their distant outpost be disconnected from their network. And indeed, according to the last, fading perturbations of failing detection mysteries, their outpost's mysteries, concepts, and accumulated history, _changed_.

The Einzbern family went back for over a thousand years. Granted, the outpost barely went back for a tenth of that time, but still, for something which had been dyed with Einzbern's colors to be changed…

…it spoke of great power, of conceptual profundity exceeding at least five hundred years…

…who? Who among the great names of the moonlit world would dare? What could they hope to gain?

As the Einzbern pondered such questions and adjusted their planned response accordingly, in Japan Ayame smiled, and turning disappeared back through the trapdoor.

* * *

The forges of Einzbern echoed with the sounds of industry, as Ayame machined parts using tools and materials found within the forge. Steel, lead, and pure gold were fashioned into a harness and manifold that would link it to the foundry, though molds and other tools were to be found aplenty, needing no need to machine and thus saving on time.

As the harness was completed, Ayame linked it to the foundry, before placing the raw materials for what she needed into the foundry. Copper and zinc for the most part, but also nickel, lead, and iron, five base elements which when passed together through a combined smelting and transmutation process, would produce an alloy that while not much stronger than brass physically, possessed wonderful magical properties: orichalcum.

Normally difficult, expensive, and time-consuming to produce, by incorporating the Mini Elemental Furnace as the source of the heat to melt down orichalcum's base components, and cycling the prana for the transmutation process through that same Mini Elemental Furnace, several steps that would normally have to be done to produce orichalcum could be skipped in their entirety, and greatly bringing down the failure rate, time, and cost needed to produce the alloy. Of course just the alloy wasn't enough, but the forge's stores also – thankfully – had an amount of what else she needed as well. Lapis lazuli, to engrave fairy letters with.

Making one last check of the foundry to be sure what was needed was there – ingots of copper, lead, and iron, and blocks of zinc and nickel – Ayame then approached the harness. Words poured from her lips, smoky glyphs floating through the air around her for mere moments before vanishing, spells being woven over and around the harness and manifold to ensure their functionality. And then taking the Mini Elemental Furnace, Ayame placed it in the harness.

The harness immediately came to life. Gauges and other instrumentation across the foundry and the forge in general spun up, wildly fluctuating for several moments as the engravings on the Mini Elemental Furnace flickered, and then finally, they steadied, the engravings of the Mini Elemental Furnace glowing a bright blue as the manifold hummed and shimmered with heat, the foundry beginning to warm and the raw materials within beginning to soften and finally melt.

"Forged by fire," Ayame muttered. "Not the first time I've used them, but in hindsight, 'crown of freedom' never was so fitting as…"

Blinking and breaking at an alarm from a bounded field, Ayame gestured, a green rectangle appearing in the air before flickering to show an image of two children, staring out from a balcony. "So they've woken up." Ayame muttered, narrowing her eyes as her sisters ran across the room, and creeping out, ran as they saw no one guarding the hallway outside.

Ayame stayed silent, watching as her sisters made their way through the mansion, and into the outside. "Running away…?" she said softly, and briefly closing her eyes. "Well, they're still just kids, not even old enough to go to school. In short, innocents, for whom the Phantasmagoria will hold no terror, and only wonder."

Ayame snorted and smiled while shaking her head. "It'll be fine then." She said, dismissing the screen and turning back to the forge. "I've got crowns to forge, to break the chains of slavery and lies with. Let the fairies entertain them in the meantime."

* * *

Rin and Sakura ran through the fog, the trees of the forest looming out of the ethereal wall of white like pillars of darkness. Dirt and rocks crunched beneath their feet as they ran, Rin leading and all but dragging her sister along behind her.

Sakura cried out again and again, the uneven ground painful against her feet even through her shoes, and it wasn't long before her undeveloped muscles began to protest painfully against the effort being asked of them. "N-n-nee-san…" Sakura gasped. "I can't…please…can we…rest…a while…"

Rin actually felt the same way, but she knew they couldn't. Sakura didn't understand, and Rin didn't blame her: Sakura wasn't the heiress after all, Rin was. Sakura didn't know what it meant being a magus, and wasn't supposed to know.

That they'd been kidnapped was obvious, from what they remembered of earlier. Why they'd been kidnapped, well, Sakura didn't know, and it was all Rin could do to keep Sakura from breaking down crying earlier (though if she were honest, Rin herself had been on the brink of breaking down at the same time at their situation), but even then Rin couldn't explain the why.

They were both brilliant magi, or had the makings of them. Sakura didn't know much less understand, but Rin knew and understood. That was the only reason they could have been kidnapped for.

And now that they had a chance to get away, to get back to their family, they had to take it. If they didn't…

…then who knew what might happen to them.

"N-n-n-nee-san…please…I can't…I can't…I…"

Rin abruptly came to a halt, breathing hard and pulling herself and Sakura against a tree. Trying to still their breathing as best they could, the two girls looked out from around the tree.

Up ahead there was a path, running across the direction they'd been running in. Men were marching down the path, dressed only in straw slippers and white socks under dark-colored trousers, their torsos bare and with paper bands tied around their foreheads. Gilded wood rested on their shoulders, a box big enough for a person to sit in comfortably resting on top of a litter, windows draped in red silk and gold thread.

Rin and Sakura watched with mixed awe and apprehension as the procession passed, but just a few steps down the path it stopped, and without a word the men put the litter down. A beautiful woman dressed in a three-layer kimono floated out of the litter, elegantly drifting through the air to come to a rest on a tree branch, and hiding her face behind a fan nodded once at the men.

The men lifted the empty litter, and leaping into the air vanished without a sound. Rin and Sakura gaped, while in the distance the woman sat on the tree, fanning herself silently for a few moments. And then turning her head, she looked right at Rin and Sakura.

Rin didn't waste any moment. " _They found us!_ " she thought, grabbing Sakura by the hand and running back the way they came.

"N-n-nee-san…wait…I can't…ah!"

With a cry, Sakura stumbled on the ground, falling on her face and her hand slipping free of Rin's own. "SAKURA!" Rin shouted, doubling back to her sister.

Sakura got up on all fours, and with a wince rolled away, before looking down at a bloody knee. Face twisting up, the four-year-old girl began to cry loudly at the pain, despite Rin's attempts to shush her.

And then the woman from before was looming over them. "Get away from…!" Rin began, leaping up and holding out a hand. Light began to glow in her palm…

…and then to her horror, fizzled out.

"Now, now," the woman said with a motherly tone, and sinking down next to Sakura. "None of that. And you really shouldn't run around in the fog like this. It can get dangerous, you know."

Turning back to Sakura, the woman smiled comfortingly, and patting the girl on the head reached into her sleeve and pulled out a box. Opening it, it revealed a traditional medicine kit, with which the woman began to clean Sakura's wound.

All the while, Rin could only watch uneasily, while in the distance, Ayame wielded fire, magic, and molten metal to craft miracles into reality.

* * *

A/N

Well, there's the spell for the Phantasmagoria. In the main story, Rin never stood a chance. Even without factoring the fairies in, it's a bloody ten-count, i.e. a Lesser Ritual. Though, to be honest you can't really 'factor out' the fairies, since they're critical to the Phantasmagoria.

Spoiler for the ending of the main story here, though as I mentioned in a past chapter of the main story, it is inevitable for Illya to die just like her mother did. She is the Lesser Grail. As the Holy Grail War progresses and more and more energies of fallen Servants enters her, the less Human she will become, until she finally dies and all that is left is a shell, filled with energy for the Greater Grail.

And more to the point…yes, it's a nightmarish combination, isn't it? Fairy magic, plus a thousand and more years of knowledge, which may or may not be rooted in fairy magic as well. Because the foundation of the Einzbern family, or more likely their makers, was the Rhine Gold as told in the tale of the Ring of the Nibelung.


	4. Part IV

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part IV

"Hey," Rin asked. "Where are we? What is this place? And where are you taking us?"

The three of them walked through the fog-shrouded forest, a woman in a traditional Japanese kimono and a pair of children in dresses of a modern, western cut. Well, Rin and the woman walked. Sakura clung to the woman's collar, carried in the latter's arms as they made their way through the fog and the trees.

The woman smiled down at Rin, the distrustful girl walking close by. "A very good question," she said. "For we ourselves do not know where this place exactly is either. Normally the land beyond our home is very different from here, but thanks to the actions of the Traveler, things have changed, at least for a time."

"…huh…?"

"Such is the answer to the first question." The woman said. "To the second…this is a place where reality and fantasy meet. Where the real and the unreal, that which is and which cannot be overlap, and where things that were and are may yet be as they once were long ago, thanks to the Traveler."

"Just who is this 'Traveler', anyway?" Rin asked irritably.

The woman laughed. "We do not know her name, little one." She said. "Only that she is one of us and yet not one of us, at least for now. Kin and not-kin in equal measure, a solitary child born in fire and blood saved by the imprint of a dream, the wandering solitaire and hunter of those who would commit the ultimate sin, a witch and a thief one day destined to pass into legend. One day…sooner or later…that is the Traveler."

"I…I…I don't understand."

"We are certain you are not." the woman said with another laugh. "We do not either. Because in a way, thanks to the limits of your world, the Traveler should not even be right now."

"Huh?"

"Well, no matter." The woman said with a shrug. "Fantastic and incomprehensible it might be, but in our world of fantasy and illusion, what is so wrong about it? So it is, and so it will be, Traveler."

The woman laughed again, and then turned back to Rin. "Oh yes," she said. "It seems we have failed to answer one of your questions, where are we going, was it? We are going home, our home, little one."

"…why are you taking us to your home?" Rin asked.

"Would you rather we left you in this forest to fend for yourself?" the woman asked. "Things may be different in your world, but in ours it is quite a dangerous place, both within and without the domains of one's own kind."

"…why not just send us back home?" Rin asked.

The woman didn't answer for a moment, and then she briefly closed her eyes. "The Traveler's overlapping the realms across the veil will not last long." She said. "You will be able to return home in time, have no doubt about it, should you choose to do so. But having come this far, it would be such a shame for you not to see at least a little of this realm of fantasy and dreams, lost to your realm of limited wonder and superficial truths, and to not partake of our hospitality, we who have treated you much better than others in this world would have."

"…what does that mean?"

The woman smiled, but did not answer. "Won't you tell me," she asked instead. "What your names are, little ones?"

Rin narrowed her eyes but did not answer. Sakura, however…

"Sakura," the little girl said. "Sakura Tohsaka."

"Oh that's a nice name." the woman said with a warm smile, and Sakura smiled back. "It suits a sweet little girl like you."

"Thank you!"

"We have the honor of being named Rurichiyo Kazahana, Sakura." Rurichiyo said. "It is a pleasure to know you."

"It's nice knowing you too!"

"Did you know, Sakura?"

"What?"

"Your name, it means cherry blossoms."

"Yes!"

"And do you know the legend behind those flowers, and why they are so tied with the fates of your kind?"

"No."

Rurichiyo beamed. "Then let me tell you the story of the Princess Konohanasakuya." She said. "Once, the god Ohoyamatsumi who rules over the mountains and the sea had two daughters. One was known as the Princess Iwanaga, and the other the Princess Konohanasakuya. The former bore as her crest enduring stone born of the land, and the latter beautiful but fleet flowers of pink in the winds of spring."

"…cherry blossoms?" Sakura asked, and Rurichiyo nodded.

"Yes," she said. "Just like your name."

"Wow…"

"One day," Rurichiyo continued. "The Princess Konohanasakuya was walking on the seashore when she met the god Ninigi, grandson of the August Light of Heaven herself. The two fell in love, and in time, the revered grandson sought her hand from her father. Ohoyamatsumi was reluctant to give his leave however, and instead offered the Princess Iwanaga's hand. The revered grandson refused in his turn, for his heart was set on the Princess Konohanasakuya, and reluctantly Ohayamatsumi gave his permission, and the princess and the revered grandson were wed."

"Then what happened?" Sakura asked.

"In time," Rurichiyo continued. "The August Light of Heaven commanded her grandson to descend to the Earth from the Celestial Plains, and to bring order, peace, plenty and prosperity to the land and the mortals that dwell therein. The revered grandson did as commanded, and in time one of his and the princess' heirs would come to rule the land, bearing as the emblems of their right to rule the three gifts of the August Light of Heaven: the sword, the jewel, and the mirror."

Rurichiyo paused, and turning her head met Sakura's eyes. "The land, the people, and their ruler are one." She said. "None can exist without any of the others. Therefore, because of the revered grandson's choice of the cherry blossoms over enduring rock, Human lives are so short and fleeting…but so much more beautiful and precious for all that."

Sakura just nodded slowly, enthralled by the story, and Rurichiyo now turned to Rin. "And what about you, little one." She asked. "What's your name?"

"Rin," Rin said reluctantly. "Rin Tohsaka."

"I see…ah, we are almost there! Just a little more now."

Eyes turned back in front, and then Rin gaped. Just a bit further away, and the trees and the ground alike gave way to a sheer drop, the cliff falling with walls of bleak and hard stone to a great depth, from which water could be heard flowing and smashing against stone with great strength in the shadows and mists beneath.

Beyond the chasm however there was another cliff, rising from the depths below and running parallel on either side vanished into the distance. The forest resumed above the cliffs, shrouding what lay beyond, but Rurichiyo seemed to know, as she made for a simple rope bridge strung from one cliff to another across the chasm, without a care for the sheer drop below.

"I-is that really safe?" Rin asked.

"Are you afraid?" Rurichiyo challenged while stepping on the bridge, and then turning smiled at Rin. "If so, then you may of course turn back. But, we would think that something like this, which we or our people have little trouble crossing, would be preferable to turning back, and facing alone that which could be lurking in the fog and mist behind."

Rin narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists, and then Rurichiyo was extending a hand. "Come," she said with a smile. "Take our hand. Let us cross together, shall we, Rin?"

Rin hesitated, and then meeting Sakura's innocently-curious eyes stepped forward. Still hesitant, she raised her hand, and took Rurichiyo's offered hand. The woman smiled.

"There's a brave girl." She said, and then turning, led Rin across the bridge.

* * *

The forest was different.

Rin couldn't quite put her mind or finger on it, much less a word or words to describe it, but it was _different_. The trees were of the same kind, such as cedar and oak among others, but the trees were taller and bigger, the overgrowth richer and the undergrowth thicker. It wasn't just the physical dimensions that were different though, even the colors seemed to have changed.

It wasn't much, green was still green and brown was still brown, and the same went for the other colors that existed, but…

…it was _fresher_ , more vibrant, more _alive_ and striking to the eye than Rin had ever noticed before.

Even the air seemed to be different, thicker and thus harder to breathe in, and yet giving more…power, to the body with every breath. A single deep breath and Rin found her vision briefly swimming, and afterwards felt…powerful. Alive…confident…as though the whole world was ripe for the taking, Rin herself ready to accept and overcome any challenge that came her way.

Rurichiyo didn't seem affected at all by the forest and the air though, not that that was a surprise. She lived here, or around her after all, so she was probably used to it. _That_ had gears turning in Rin's little head, and though she already knew the older woman had a supernatural air and greater power than Rin possessed here and now, she found herself wondering yet again: just _who_ was Rurichiyo? What was she? A magus? A spell-caster? Something else? And what did she want here?

Those and other questions swam through Rin's head, the girl brooding it over as they walked through the forest, her urge to flee held back by knowing it would be pointless and could provoke…negative, results. And while Rin as a magus was prepared to die if not worse, Sakura…

…she wasn't a magus. As a spare, she was never even supposed to know about the supernatural, though she did as a courtesy on their father's part, but even then was never taught anything of the family's mysteries, or educated in the proper way of doing and even about _thinking_ things.

If worse came to worse, Rin was prepared to face it. Sakura was not. And therefore Rin could not risk provoking it, if only for her sister's sake. She just _couldn't_.

Speaking of Sakura though…

…the little girl was staring all around her in wonder, from the golden beams of sunlight shining through gaps in the canopy, at the impossibly-rich and vibrant greens and browns and other colors of the forest around them, and while there were no animals given it was winter, it didn't stop her from looking for them, if to no avail.

Slowly but surely however, the forest gave way to open ground, and the trio found their path now resting on a raised embankment flanked by empty rice paddies on either side. Not too surprising, given it was winter, but it had Rin looking around in shock and surprise. The rice fields stretched as far as the eye could see, broken only by earthen walls around the plots, broken in their turn by wooden dams and marked with bamboo piping and simple ironworks, while here and there could be seen sheds and huts of wood and straw.

" _Where are we?_ " Rin asked herself. " _There's no way this could really be near or around the city. There's just no way. A-are…are we really…it can't be…she said…another world…but…how…daddy…please help us…_ "

As Rin fought panic and shock, Sakura was looking around in confusion. "What are all these?" she asked, gesturing with a hand.

"Rice fields, dear one." Rurichiyo said, and coming to a halt. "Shame you arrived in the winter, when the fields are empty and desolate. They're usually so green and alive, especially in the summer, or the spring and autumn when we plant and harvest."

"Oh…I see…I wish it was spring then."

Rurichiyo smiled. "We wish it were so too." She said. "Then we could sing songs and play music as the fields are sowed with rice, and eat, drink, and make merry when the Sun sets, celebrating the coming of yet another year."

"Wow…that sounds so fun…I wish we could visit when that happens! Can we? Nee-san…!"

Rin was jolted from her troubles by Sakura's shout, and she quickly turned to face her sister. "W-what?" she asked.

"Can we visit in the spring?" Sakura asked eagerly. "It sounds like they have a lot of fun in the spring, so…can we?"

"I-I suppose…"

Rin trailed off as Sakura gushed, and then Rurichiyo was pointing into the distance. "Ah," she said. "And here comes our ride."

"Ride?" Rin echoed, and then turning felt her jaw drop – again – as an opulent procession arrived. Similar to before, a litter of gilded wood, red silk, and colored embroidery was brought close by big men with bared torsos and shaven heads, wearing only dark-colored trousers over white socks and straw slippers. Paper bands were tied around their heads, and in addition to them there were other men with them this time.

Dressed in formal-looking kimonos, they bowed to Rurichiyo, and spoke in a dialect of Japanese so…unusual? Provincial? _Old-fashioned_ …?

Rin couldn't understand, only that it wasn't long before Rurichiyo was helping Sakura into the litter, which was bigger than the one she'd appeared in. "Your turn, dear one?" Rurichiyo said with an offered hand.

Again, Rin hesitated, only to give way when Sakura poked her head out. Entering the litter, Rin appreciatively found it warm and comfortable, all silk and padded cotton with plenty of cushions, and then Rurichiyo was entering and then sitting down gestured with a fan through a window.

There was a sound outside, a signal of some sort, and then with a lurch the litter was lifted into the air, and then turning around, continued down the path. "There, much better, yes?" Rurichiyo asked with a smile.

"Yes!" Sakura said, holding a cushion tight.

For her part, Rin could only sit uneasily.

* * *

A/N

No Ayame for now, just Rin and Sakura, plus Rurichiyo. No, despite appearances, neither she nor her people are Human. What they are will be revealed in the end, but they are not evil. They can be really mischievous and even manipulative, to the point of unintentionally being malicious about it, but definitely not evil. Unlike certain magi who despite being Human (or who used to be Human) are far more malicious (and intentionally so) and evil than beings who were never Human to begin with.

Yes, I'm aware there's no cliff/chasm/whatever like that in the Einzbern Forest. But hey, as Rurichiyo said, Ayame casting the Phantasmagoria as she did in this story basically caused reality and the Reverse Side of the World to overlap. Thankfully it's a part of the latter belonging to more benign Phantasmal Beasts, but it's still a part of wonderland that's intruded into reality.

On another note…Rin, you need to learn to relax.


	5. Part V

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part V

Water hot enough to steam but not to scald poured down over a sullen Rin. The little girl sat naked on a wooden platform built around a stone-floored enclosure, while Rurichiyo knelt down behind her, a towel wrapped around her otherwise nude body, her long dark hair tied into a simple bun and with another towel wrapped around her forehead.

Nearby, Sakura hummed pleasantly as she soaked in a tub of hot water, resting her head on arms folded over the edge of the tub, a neatly folded towel sitting on top of her head.

"Really," Rurichiyo chided. "If only you hadn't made such a fuss earlier, you would be soaking in a tub right now."

"Sorry if I'm rude," Rin said as Rurichiyo scrubbed her back. "But we don't really know you, or even met you before today. So I can't help being suspicious."

"Yes, most wise for a child as young as yourself." Rurichiyo conceded. "But, there's no need to be so suspicious either. Remember: for the overly cautious, everything is impossible."

"Well…I guess…that's…not wrong…"

Rurichiyo beamed while she continued to scrub and wash Rin. "Hey, hey," Sakura said from the tub. "What happens after this?"

"You get dressed, of course." Rurichiyo said. "We can lend you some clothes since the ones you arrived with are dirty and so we had them washed. After that, well, let us have something to eat first, and then we shall see."

"What will we eat?"

Rurichiyo laughed. "Eager, are we not?" she asked. "We do not know ourselves, we just leave it to the kitchen servants. Fear not, whatever it might be, it will be hot and filling. Rice, of course, as well as miso soup and fresh winter vegetables, and either fish or meat from this morning's hunt."

"Wow, that sounds really delicious! Isn't it, nee-san?"

"Well, I uh…"

Rin broke off as her stomach answered for her, growling hungrily and causing Sakura and Rurichiyo to laugh at her as she blushed. "My, my," Rurichiyo said. "It seems your stomach is most honest. But worry not: you will not find our hospitality lacking, that we can assure you."

With a soft grunt, Rurichiyo began to rinse Rin, pouring buckets of hot water over the little girl and washing away any soap. "There, all clean." She said, helping Rin stand on the slippery stone and helping her to the tub, lifted her into the hot water to join her little sister. "Now then, you may simply enjoy the hot water for now, while we go and prepare clothes for you, alright?"

"Yes!" Sakura said, lifting a hand enthusiastically. Rin just nodded, lowering her face into the water and beginning to blow bubbles.

"Oh my," Rurichiyo said with a laugh before leaving.

Rin and Sakura soaked in silence afterwards, but after a few minutes, Sakura swam over to her sister. "Hey," she began. "Nee-san, are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Rin said. "But…I want to go home."

"…why?"

Rin drew herself up. "Sakura, don't you want to go home too?" she asked. "Mommy and daddy are probably really worried right now, and looking very hard for us! We can't stay here."

Sakura drew back, looking slightly scared at how loud Rin's voice was. Blinking, Rin noticed what she'd done, and she looked away. "Sorry," she said. "I didn't mean to scare you…but we really can't stay here."

"…yes." Sakura said. "But…we can't just go without saying goodbye. It's rude, especially since Rurichiyo-san helped us back in that forest, and even took us home. We should stay for dinner at least, and maybe until morning tomorrow. It's nighttime already, see?"

Sakura then pointed up at the slatted window above the bathhouse, and through the gaps between slats the night sky could clearly be seen, a dark velvet blue that sparkled with stars so bright and many in a way Rin and Sakura had never seen before. "We shouldn't go out at night, right?" Sakura said. "That's what mommy always said."

"Y-yes…she did…"

Rin sighed. "Alright," she said. "You're right, it's rude to just leave, and we can't go at night anyway."

Sakura grinned. "Alright!" she said, and then with a laugh splashed water into Rin's face.

"Why you…!" Rin spluttered, and then with a grin of her own splashed water into Sakura's face. Any more talk between the sisters was forgotten as they just focused on swimming around and splashing water into each other's faces, the bathhouse instead echoing with the sound of children's laughter and of happily-splashing water.

* * *

" _Itadakimasu_!" Rin and Sakura chorused as they dug into their meals. Like what Rurichiyo promised, the meal was hot and filling, from steaming, freshly-cooked white rice, to rich miso soup with tofu and onions, and wild boar caught earlier in the morning and cooked with winter vegetables and spices in a clay pot. "Delicious!"

Rurichiyo beamed at the sight. "We are certain that our kitchen servants would be most happy to hear that, won't they?" she asked.

"Yes, Lady Rurichiyo." One of her servants answered, a young woman in a two-layer kimono, the inner one a plain, bleached white from the visible edge, while the outer one was blue with white patterns embroidered over the skirt. A white obi was wrapped around the woman's waist and tied behind her, while red clan markings were tattooed on her face. "I'm sure Hakone-san would be very gratified to hear such praise for his cooking."

"And he deserves it." Rurichiyo said with a nod. "Never have we had ever any reason to complain of his cooking, least of all now, when he has made my guests most delighted with his offerings."

"Then I shall inform him of such, my lady."

Rurichiyo nodded, and then turned back to the hungry girls eating happily on the opposite side of the table from her. "Now, now," she said. "Don't be so hasty. Take the time to savor your meal, it's not going anywhere. And of course, don't forget your manners either."

"Yes, we will!"

"Yes, we won't!"

Rurichiyo beamed again, and also began to eat her dinner. At a much slower pace compared to Rin and Sakura, for all that they'd slowed down themselves after her admonishment, and slowed further as they paced themselves to match. Rurichiyo smiled softly while taking an elegant sip of her soup.

The girls were a sight, freshly-bathed and dressed in three-layer kimonos rather than in western clothes. Rurichiyo herself wore a three-layer kimono, plain white followed by red with white squares embroidered on her right side, then blue with bands of silver flowing diagonally across the cloth. A gold-colored obi was tied around her waist, partly-folded to expose the red underside, while her dark hair was tied back into a ponytail held in place by a band of jade.

Rin for her part wore plain green under blue with wave-like patterns in silver, and then white with red bands and intersecting circles, along with a gold-colored obi. Like Rurichiyo, the obi was also folded in part to expose the red underside. Instead of its usual pigtails, Rin's hair had been tied back, and held in place with a band of gold.

Sakura wore white under red with patterns of hexagonal frames in yellow, and then white with violet bands and flowers. Her obi was gold, and partly-folded exposed a rich green underside.

The lady of the house – a large, sprawling, Japanese-style mansion sitting on top of a hill – and her guests ate in silence, and after finishing the girls gave happy exclamations as fried pastry with sesame seed filling was placed before them. "Well now," Rurichiyo remarked. "Is this not a rare treat?"

The servant smiled at her mistress. "Hakone-san was most pleased by your praise, my lady." She said.

"So we see." Rurichiyo said with a small laugh. "Oh very well…let us give our guests the full measure of our hospitality."

"Yes, thank you very much!" Rin and Sakura chorused, and Rurichiyo beamed.

"But of course," she said. "You won't be staying long, only up until the festival tomorrow night, after which we would guide you home."

"…tomorrow…night…?" Rin echoed, pausing lifting a pastry to her mouth. In contrast, Sakura didn't seem to care.

"Yes, tomorrow night we shall be holding a small festival." Rurichiyo said. "You may go home tomorrow morning if you wish, but it is such a shame not to go. Places such as where we are now…we rarely if ever receive guests and visitors from the outside world. And so when they do…we offer and show them the best of ourselves, so rare it is for us to see them, and similarly, for outsiders such as yourselves, to see us."

Rin lowered the pastry onto her plate, and likewise lowered her head in thought. " _We can go home tomorrow morning._ " She thought. " _And we should. This is a dangerous place. I just know it. We shouldn't stay too long her. We have to go. Home…to mommy and daddy…but…_ "

Rin's thoughts trailed off, and she looked up, at Rurichiyo's smiling face, and then sideways where Sakura was happily munching away. The younger girl noticed, and looking at Rin tilted her head questioningly. Rin looked down again.

" _But…is it really so dangerous? They…Rurichiyo-san…she helped us out of that forest…she helped us get away from that magus' house…took us into her home…gave us a bath…food…I…I'm sure…it wouldn't hurt…to stay in her village for the festival…would it? Would it?_ "

Rin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and raising her head and opening her eyes made her decision. "Okay," she said. "We'll stay for the festival."

Rurichiyo beamed. "It's settled then." She said cheerfully.

* * *

"Now, where did those two wander off?" Ayame wondered to herself as she walked out of the Einzbern Castle. Standing on the front lawn for a few moments and scratching at her head, she finally fished a pair of glasses from a pocket, their lenses shaped like stars, and put them on. "Oh, there's the trail. Let's see…oh yes: Floating Ground!"

Ayame's feet or rather the soles on her boots began to glow gently, and then lifted her into the air. "Let's go!" she said as she flew forward, eyes on the ground and following the girl's path into the forest, past and around trees, over broken and uneven ground, through the mists into the distance.

But, being so focused as she was on tracking down her sisters, Ayame wasn't watching where she was going. And as usually happens in this kind of situation…

…the inevitable would happen.

 **BLAG!**

Ayame fell on her rump, clutching where she'd apparently flown face-first into a low-hanging branch. "…really…should watch…where I'm going." She muttered to herself while getting up and patting herself clean. She was much too tough to be really hurt by the impact, but it was a good reminder not to get too caught up in a single-minded purpose.

"Right…then…huh?"

Ayame took off the glasses as fairies appeared out of the fog around her, and then swirling around her flew off – for the most part – in a different direction. Those that remained flew and swirled around her, and insistently flashed towards where the rest of them had flown off.

"Alright, alright," Ayame said, walking towards the indicated direction. "I'm going…let's see what you folks want."

After about half an hour walking through the fog, Ayame emerged into a clearing with a pond in the middle. The fairies hovered and flew in a glowing spiral around the pond, and flashing, indicated Ayame to look into the water. "Uh…" she began. "What exactly am I…whoa…what the…"

There, floating under the water, a little girl slept, wisps of her hair drifting in the cool water. And then the ground gave way, and with a yelp, the Black and White Magician fell into the pond.

Except…

…there was no splashing of water. There was only a shimmer of golden light, the sound of _suzu_ being rung once, and a little girl got to her feet. Staring at her hands and then at herself in disbelief, Kuchinashi Tachibana looked up at the fairies around her.

"W-w-w-what is this?" she stammered out.

* * *

A/N

Wow, this has gotten longer than expected. Oh well, who cares? Last update for a while, going back to playing Mass Effect.

Just to clarify, _suzu_ are those wooden bells, ranging from small, clustered, handheld ones, to the big ones hanging over the doors leading into Japanese temples and shrines.

Until next time, stay golden folks.


	6. Part VI

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part VI

"I'm sure you all have a very good reason for doing this."

The fairies danced and rapidly flashed, given the impression of silent laughter. "Yes, I can see you're all enjoying yourselves." Kuchinashi said with a sigh. "Oh fine…I'll play along. I imagine this also has something to do with my little sisters and wherever they went?"

In response, the fairies flashed and then flew off, all the while spinning and whirling invitingly for Kuchinashi to follow. "I'll take that as a yes," she said while hurrying through the trees. "And I'll just follow your lead here."

The fairies flashed their acknowledgement, and flew in a great, golden swarm through the trees and the fog. Kuchinashi followed, rubber shoes crunching on dry leaves and thin snow as she nimbly ran between tree trunks and bushes and over uneven and rocky ground. " _Huh,_ " she thought to herself. " _For a seven-year old, Kuchinashi…well, this body, I guess, is very athletic. Wonder why…_ "

Brushing the thought off, Kuchinashi focused on the fairies leading her in the dark and the fog, and despite how athletic her body was, it was still that of a child. And the fairies were fast. Kuchinashi could barely keep up as it was, and not being sure if she could call on her magic if she got lost, it was probably best _not_ to get lost.

As they moved through the forest, a clearing seemed to appear in the distance, steadily growing as they approached. " _Is that where we're headed?_ " Kuchinashi thought as she continued to follow the fairies.

The clearing continued to grow as the distance closed, Kuchinashi picking up the pace…

…and then stepping into the 'clearing' fell straight off a sheer drop as the land gave way to a deep cliff. Kuchinashi gave a sharp, childish scream as she fell…

…a scream that was quickly cut off as the fairies dove after her, and then in a swirl of golden light, carried her up and across the chasm. "Thanks, guys." Kuchinashi said as the fairies gently dropped her onto the ground.

The fairies flashed a welcome, and briefly swirling around her restored her health from running through a forest and nearly falling down a cliff. That done, the fairies flew off again, and beckoned for Kuchinashi to follow.

Again, fairies and a little Human girl ran through the forest, and then up a woody hill, looked down a cleared slope to a village in the distance. "A village…" Kuchinashi said disbelievingly. "Was there ever a village…around…here…"

Trailing off, Kuchinashi looked up and around, and sniffed at the air. She took a deep breath, and felt the magic, no, not magic…the _weight_ , of everything in this place. It was as though everything here, from the ground she was standing on, the very air she breathed, even the stars in the sky above, was _there_. That there was _purpose_ behind their presence, their very existence, beyond an ultimately random and organic expression of the mathematical laws that governed reality.

It was like someone or… _something_ , had decided that there _would_ be trees there, that grass would be here, that stars would shine above in that exact and specific spot.

Kuchinashi stared up at the impossibly-clear skies, and considered the sense of purpose, of perfect…harmony, behind where she was. She tasted the richness of the mana in the air, and with a sigh palmed her face.

"The Reverse Side of the World?" she asked, and the fairies laughed silently. Kuchinashi sighed, and looked down at the village below. "First time for everything I guess…and I guess my sisters are down there, too."

The fairies flashed an affirmative, and with another sigh, Kuchinashi began to descend down the slope. " _I don't think Humans normally live in this place._ " She thought. " _Or maybe they do…well, I guess we'll find out soon enough. Right then, let's do this._ "

* * *

It had snowed earlier, and pure white covered the sides of the paths where villagers had swept it out of the way, as well as the trees that stood on the slopes of Rurichiyo's hill, and across the village square. Bright but gentle starlight shone down from a clear sky, perfectly and seamlessly merging with the golden light of paper lanterns that lit the streets and the square, and the stalls the villagers had set up.

Mouthwatering smells filled the air: pork buns, miso soup, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and other foods that might be found in a festival. Cheerful conversation and laughter mingled with the rich scent of good food, as villagers thronged through the square, from the elderly to the young, all in simple but elegant yukatas or vibrant kimonos, all sporting some form of clan markings on their faces.

It made Rin and Sakura feel somewhat out of place, but the villagers were kind and hospitable, doing their best to make their lady's guests feel at home. And in any case, tonight was a festival, so they might as well show off at their best.

With a gentle nudge, Rurichiyo pushed Rin and Sakura to go and enjoy themselves…and enjoy themselves they did.

Warming her hands with a cup of tea, Rin stared in wonder at ice sculptures crafted by villagers in their spare time, and would be judged and prizes given to the best later on by Rurichiyo. The details of the sculptures were impossibly-detailed, and no one could deny the effort and time the villagers had put into them.

Of the many pieces on display, there were three that particularly stood out. One was of a samurai warrior in full armor, sword raised to deliver the killing blow to a prostrate enemy. Another was a scaled-down replica of a vaguely familiar-looking castle, and the last was of an exquisitely-dressed woman playing a shamisen.

"I wish I could make sculptures like those." Rin murmured, and with a laugh a nearby villager who was tending his sculpture and had overheard approached.

"Who says you can't, little lady?" he said with an encouraging smile. "Course you'll need a lot of practice to hone the skill for it, but give it time…and maybe ones of yours will be here, one day."

Rin stared at the man for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah…maybe…" she said, looking back at the sculptures. "One day…thanks mister…"

The man nodded and returned to his sculpture, while Rin continued to look at the sculptures for a few more moments before walking off. Elsewhere, Sakura's laughter mingled with those of the village children as they huddled around the goldfish scoop, taking turns trying to catch the quick little fish with a paper scoop.

They weren't having much success, though that didn't stop them from enjoying themselves. More than half the fun with the game came from _trying_ to catch the fish with one's friends, after all.

"I got it! I got it! I got it!" a village girl said with a face-splitting smile, carefully lifting the scoop, a goldfish flopping about on the wet paper as the other children looked in with mixed awe and envy.

 **SPLASH!**

Outraged yells and childish laughter filled the air to the adults' smiles as wet paper gave way, and the goldfish fell back into the water. The other children quickly encouraged and reassured the unhappy village girl, and in another moment, they were back to yelling encouragement and laughing good-naturedly at each other as they resumed trying to catch the goldfish.

Rurichiyo had to hold back her laughter as she watched Rin awkwardly make her way through the square. Now that the standoffish girl had finally decided to open up, she was at once looking quite at home and out of place at the same time. The girl had slid a mask to one side of her head, and juggling a pork bun and a cup of tea at the same time as a stick of dango poked out of her mouth.

 _Finally, she's beginning to settle in and relax._

There was a gentle tugging at Rurichiyo's sleeve, and turning her head, the lady blinked down at a golden-eyed…girl? Boy? Whatever, that was dressed in western clothes.

The…girl or boy, let go of Rurichiyo's sleeve and pointed at her. "You're a fox!" she said with a mix of accusation and matter-of-fact.

Rurichiyo's eyes briefly went flat, and then noting the golden eyes sniffed at the air. And then she grinned.

"My, my," she said teasingly. "Is this not a pleasant surprise, Traveler? Though we imagined you to be…taller?"

The Traveler scoffed, and crossed their arms while looking away. Had they been older, it would probably look impressive, but as it was, it only made them look childish. Rurichiyo actually giggled, hiding the motion if not the sound behind a raised arm and her sleeves.

"It's not funny!" the Traveler protested, and Rurichiyo couldn't help it. She laughed some more, causing the Traveler to redden and protest even further. "Stop laughing! It's not funny, really! I just…the fairies…GAH!"

Rurichiyo coughed as her laughter ran her course, and then placing a hand on the pouting Traveler's back, guided her further along. "Rin…Sakura…children…" Rurichiyo called. "Come here, we would introduce you to someone."

"YES!"

Within moments, the village children – and Sakura – were crowding before the awkward-looking Traveler, and after a few moments Rin arrived, wiping sauce off her hands. "Now then Traveler," Rurichiyo said with a grin. "Won't you introduce yourself?"

The Traveler shot her an ugly look, and then taking a deep breath glanced at the expectant-looking children. The Traveler stared for a moment, and then took another deep breath before drawing herself up.

"I am Kuchinashi Tachibana." She said with childish pomposity. "And I'm going to grow up to be the Black and White Magician!"

There were gasps from the children, followed by loud applause. "You go and have fun now." Rurichiyo said with a wave, as the children pulled the stunned Kuchinashi away, Rin and another girl already heading off to get food for them all.

"Be gentle!" Rurichiyo reminded them before masking another grin at the outraged protest from Kuchinashi, and the affirmative chorus from the other children.

* * *

The night passed in a blur, and by the time everyone had gathered to watch the fireworks to end the festival, Kuchinashi had largely overcome her earlier awkwardness. A _teru teru bozu_ was tied to one of her wrists, while a necklace of jade magatama had been thrown around her neck. Sakura and Rin were nearby, the former animatedly chatting with other village girls her age, all of them clutching a doll of one sort or another. Rin for her part was lying flat on the ground, looking very disheveled but otherwise very pleased with herself.

 **BANG! BANG! BANG!**

Fireworks jetted up into the skies on lines of sparks, and exploded in showers of fiery light and color. Flame-red, emerald-green, sapphire-blue, and vibrant orange, they bloomed like flowers in the night sky, the shrieking of their climb and the thunder of their eruptions met with cries of awe and delight from the ground.

For several minutes, fire and light played in the sky, and then it was over. Fireworks took time to make even for skilled hands, and with so much to do in a small village such as this, the local chemist could only make so much between festivals and other occasions.

"That's it, then." Kuchinashi said. "That's the end of the festival. Time to go home."

Indeed, all over the hill people were getting up and gathering their belongings and refuse, and those that were done with that or had no need to do so were already making their way home, to rest in what was left of the night, before waking up to another day of toil tomorrow. Rin and Sakura's friends said their goodbyes and ran off to meet with their parents, and then Rurichiyo was there.

"Well now," the centuries-old fox spirit began. "From the look of things, it would appear you have enjoyed yourselves."

"YES!" Rin and Sakura chorused.

"…it was fun." Kuchinashi admitted after a moment, and Rurichiyo smiled.

"Yes, it was." She said. "And we would assume that you would go on your way, Traveler?"

"…yeah, I guess I should."

Rurichiyo smiled wider, but said nothing, though her eyes slid in Rin and Sakura's direction. After a moment, Kuchinashi did likewise, her eyes narrowing.

"That was so fun!" Sakura gushed.

"Yeah, I haven't had so much fun before!" Rin agreed. "I made a lot of friends too!"

"I did too!" Sakura said with a raised hand, and Rin laughed.

"Yes, I saw." She said, though she quickly looked sad. "I wish we don't have to leave them behind though."

Kuchinashi closed her eyes, and then taking a deep breath, made her decision. "Then don't." she said, and Rin and Sakura quickly looked at her.

"What?" they chorused.

"If you don't want to leave your friends behind, then don't." Kuchinashi said, pacing around with her hands behind her back. "They'll always be here, so if you want to stay friends…well…"

"But…that's…" Rin fumbled, looking very troubled. Sakura though, was quiet.

"They're your friends, aren't they?" Kuchinashi said, coming to a halt, and meeting Rin's eyes. After a moment, she turned and did the same for Sakura. "Friends don't abandon each other. And if you leave…it's the same as abandoning them. So…will you abandon them? Turn your back on your friends just like that?"

This was punctuated by a snap of a finger, and Rin and Sakura responded by reflex. "No, we won't!" they yelled.

There was a sound as of _suzu_ being struck, and Kuchinashi and Riruchiyo closed their eyes.

 _The choice has been made._

* * *

A/N

There's no way to mistake Ayame for a boy, even with her hair cut short like Ayako's…as a teenager. Her rack prevents that. As a child though she was rather androgynous, and could easily have been mistaken for a boy.

How did the choice get made? Ayame/Kuchinashi used logical trickery on preschool children who've just had their resistance worn down by a night of fun and wonder. If A is leaving and equals B which is abandoning your friends, will C equal Rin and Sakura doing B? They said no, from which follows that C which is equal to B which is they will not abandon their friends, equal to A which is they will _not_ leave.

Game set, and match.


	7. Part VII

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part VII

The _suzu_ struck a second time, and it was as though a veil of mist and shadow was drawn between Kuchinashi and her sisters. Sight could be had through the veil, sight as though in a dream, ephemeral, unreal, ethereal, intangible and immaterial, as though to fade away with the opening of the eyes, to vanish at the touch of the light of the Sun at dawn.

The _suzu_ struck a third time, and blue eyes staring through the veil turned the color of gold, blue clan markings adorning faces unadorned but a moment ago. Six tails with fur red like fire rested behind Rurichiyo, while one red-furred tail each rested behind Rin and Sakura both.

The _suzu_ struck a fourth time, and no longer did Kuchinashi look upon seemingly Human beings across the veil. No, there now sat before her a great red fox with blue markings around its snout and eyes, staring at her with golden eyes bearing the impression of time and wisdom beyond Human comprehension, while sitting beside her were a pair of kits, nestled amidst their mother's tails, their coloring matching her own.

The _suzu_ struck a fifth time, and like a dream was dispelled upon waking on the morning, the veil vanished, and with it the sight from beyond. Kuchinashi stood alone in the misty forest in the morning, and smiling once closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then turning, she opened her eyes…

…and Ayame cast aside the aspect of her long-lost childhood, and stood in the aspect she had worn for decades. The aspect which had washed its hands clean with the blood of those who would dare reach beyond the World, which had mercilessly cast down families which had stood for hundreds, if not thousands of years, the aspect which had destroyed countless works of wonder and horror without remorse, earning the hatred, fear, and envy of those who had yet to earn her wrath: The Black and White Magician.

Soaring through the cloudy skies, Black and White returned to Einzbern Castle. Stepping through an open pair of windows, she strode through carpeted and lamp-lit corridors to the war room. Paintings and engravings of the Thirty Years War hung on the walls, while commemorative plates celebrating Prussian and Bavarian victories against the French during the Napoleonic Wars stood on stands and shelves. Ceremonial weapons rested on plinths while suits of plate armor stood at every corner, and with a gesture from Black and White, the lamps dimmed and died, while the window shutters closed on their own.

Another gesture later, and a glowing sphere appeared in the middle of the room. Moments after that, glowing screens which scrolled information and displayed key points along the castle's defenses appeared around the room, Black and White regarding them with a practiced eye.

"Status of the defense fields?" she queried.

"Defense fields at forty-three per cent integrity." A synthetic, feminine voice answered.

"Forty-three per cent?" Ayame echoed in surprise. "How far has the enemy penetrated?"

"The enemy has breached the fourth defense field approximately five hours, eighteen minutes, and twenty-two seconds ago."

Ayame made a sound of disgust and frustration. "To think they could breach four defense fields." She muttered. "Then again, the first field would never have held against a magus worth the title. The second though…how did the enemy breach it?"

"Biometrics matching those of the Arch-Magus Makiri Zolgen attempted to breach the second defense field approximately forty-seven hours, nineteen minutes, and thirty-six seconds ago." The voice answered. "This attempt resulted in the destruction of Arch-Magus Zolgen's body. However, approximately forty-two hours, twenty-two minutes, and fifty-five seconds ago, Arch-Magus Zolgen launched simultaneous attacks against the seals of the second defense field, and collapsed it. Alert: attacks incorporated conceptual features characteristic of Edelfelt or Tohsaka Thaumaturgy."

"Tokiomi…Tohsaka…is it?" Ayame hissed with a poisonous note in her voice. "What of the third defense field?"

"Biometrics matching those of the Arch-Magus Makiri Zolgen attempted to breach the third defense field approximately thirty-two hours, forty-five minutes, and eleven seconds ago." The voice answered. "This attempt resulted in the destruction of Arch-Magus Zolgen's body. However, approximately thirty hours, eleven minutes, and fifteen seconds ago, Arch-Magus Zolgen launched simultaneous attacks against the seals of the third defense field, and collapsed it. Alert: attacks incorporated conceptual features characteristic of Edelfelt or Tohsaka Thaumaturgy."

"And the fourth field?"

"Biometrics matching those of the Arch-Magus Makiri Zolgen attempted to breach the fourth defense field approximately twenty-two hours, thirty minutes, and nineteen seconds ago." The voice answered. "This attempt resulted in the destruction of Arch-Magus Zolgen's body. Approximately twenty hours, eleven minutes, and fifteen seconds ago, Arch-Magus Zolgen launched simultaneous attacks against the seals of the fourth defense field. Alert: attacks incorporated conceptual features characteristic of Edelfelt or Tohsaka Thaumaturgy. This attempt again resulted in the destruction of Arch-Magus Zolgen's body. Approximately ten hours, five minutes, and twelve seconds ago, Arch-Magus Zolgen launched simultaneous attacks against the seals of the fourth defense field. Alert: attacks incorporated conceptual features characteristic of Edelfelt or Tohsaka Thaumaturgy. This attempt again resulted in the destruction of Arch-Magus Zolgen's body."

"…then who broke the fourth defense field?"

"Approximately five hours, twenty minutes, and seventeen seconds ago, biometrics matching those of three platoon-strength Type-XXII combat homunculi entered the fourth defense field and destroyed the seals of the field. It is currently unknown why Type-XXII combat homunculi would attack this facility."

Ayame pinched her nose. " _Well,_ " she thought to herself. " _I guess I should have seen that coming. No…I did see it coming. Einzbern would have come sooner or later to see what the hell happened to their Japanese outpost, and I just forgot to reset the security protocols to not allow Einzbern homunculi into the defense fields. There should still be time before they can breach the fifth field…though the sixth and seventh should be able to handle them, and even if they broke through those they'd be caught in the Phantasmagoria immediately afterwards…or…maybe…I should…_ "

Ayame's thoughts trailed off as an idea came to mind. "Standby to enact localized area-effect command override." She ordered.

"Acknowledged," the voice said. "Preparing to enact localized area-effect override, please standby…standby…standby…standby…"

Outside the castle, a gigantic magic circle began to glow, centered and revolving around the castle. Moments later and it flashed, a ring marked with runic sigils revolving in time with the circle on the ground as it rose high into the air. Continuing to revolve, it flashed and sent eight beams to the center of the ring, where they merged into a single point of blinding light.

"Preparations complete." The voice said. "Enter authorization code."

"Code input: 875-020-079." Ayame crisply said. "Code Omega local execution."

"Authorization code accepted. Awaiting final confirmation."

"Standby," Ayame said. "Once override is complete, reset command protocols."

"Acknowledged…standby…standby…standby…please enter new authorization code."

Ayame thought for a few moments, trying to think of something magi or a certain crotchety old AI would never be able to know. Unless of course, they were in touch with the times, which considering how stupid and backward magi tended to be, would be a miracle on par with True Magic.

"This hand of mine," Ayame said while grinning from ear to ear. "It shines with an awesome power. Its burning grip tells me to destroy you: Shining Finger Sword!"

"…new authorization code accepted."

Ayame collapsed laughing for several long moments, and then wiping her eyes, gave the next set of commands. "Execute command override once I depart the inner defense area." She said. "Once command override is complete, route command protocols directly to myself, and set protect level to level three."

"Acknowledged…standing by…standing by…"

Ayame nodded, and looking around the war room narrowed her eyes at the stooped form of Zouken Matou, currently conferring with a well-dressed man that could only be Tokiomi Tohsaka. Ayame looked closer and grimaced at the man's appearance. " _What's with that goatee?_ " she thought in disgust. " _I'm sure he thinks of himself as good-looking, but it only makes him look like a cheap villain from one of those cowboy movies._ "

Shaking her head at the thought, Ayame left the war room, and heading for the nearest balcony, flew off on her broom. "Now then," Ayame said with a bloodthirsty smile while flying over the Einzbern Forest, headed for where Zouken and Tokiomi were. "Let's do this!"

* * *

"According to the report from the Einzbern," Tokiomi said. "In another hour we'll be through this bounded field."

"There's another one behind it." Zouken said unhappily. That was actually just a façade, because in reality Zouken was furious, and it was taking all his self-control to not lash out at the slightest provocation. Five…he'd lost _five_ bodies breaching or attempting to breach four bounded fields, and adding no insignificant amount of strain on his soul. Once he got his hands on the magus behind the destruction of the Holy Grail and had made him go this far…

…he didn't care if Tohsaka and Einzbern had a claim on the fool in question. _He_ was going to make them beg for death, and he would take great pleasure in denying such mercy while the worms feasted. A ghost of a smile flickered on his face at a passing thought.

 _If the fool is a woman…oh yes…I will enjoy punishing her very much…_

An exclamation from Tokiomi jolted Zouken out of his thoughts, and he turned in the direction Tokiomi was looking in. Eyes that were full orbs of black widened at the sight. "Those are…!" he said in alarm.

Cylindrical projectiles trailing glittering, golden sparks soared in at high speed, and then to Tokiomi and Zouken's surprise, began to explode in mid-air, and sent glittering powder billowing in great clothes. And then explosions began to erupt, as the seals the two magi set for the bounded field to protect their current location began to explode.

"Magical explosive," Tokiomi hissed, raising his hands to use his fire magecraft to protect them both. "Fire element, but of alchemy I've never encountered before. Very well-made, solid concepts…"

"Agreed," Zouken growled. "I've never seen this magic before. What is…"

Zouken's words were drowned out as explosions erupted all around them, their own bounded fields collapsing and their prana being added to the explosions' fuel. Only Tokiomi's fire magecraft kept the two magi from being hurt, though it was an enormous strain, enough to cause the normally-stoic magus to give a grimace. Not that Zouken _really_ needed such protection, but Tokiomi didn't know that.

And still more of the glittering powder hung in the air.

* * *

And in the distance, so did Ayame.

Three concentric, counter-rotating circles appeared on her back, golden sparkles flying out in a dazzling display. "Bracing complete," Ayame said, holding out her hands and generating a pair of magic circles, three-pronged targeting reticules superimposed over the rotating circles and their fairy letters. "Target: Tokiomi Tohsaka and Zouken Matou. Twin Buster Cannon, firing."

Twin lances of pure heat energy lanced out, rendering the air in the line of fire incandescent, and igniting the remaining powder in the air which combined with Ayame's Twin Buster Cannon, turned the magi's location into a raging inferno. "Preemptive attack complete." Ayame said, dispelling her magic circles and mounting her broom again. "Commencing breakout operation."

With a boom of displaced air, Ayame shot forward like a bullet, and left the inner defense area. As she did, there was a flash of light as the circle around the castle sent a blinding blast of light into the sky, and struck the orb on the middle of the ring. The orb swelled, and then contracting to a point, erupted in a translucent blast of magical energy. Speeding outwards at the speed of thought, it engulfed everything it touched, to no effect for most…

…but for the Einzbern homunculi, from the rank-and-file combat homunculi to their squad, platoon, and expedition leaders…

…eyes flashed and magic circuits flickered as their command protocols were overridden, and their directives reset. " _Query: command?_ " the collective question slipped into Ayame's mind.

" _Kill Zouken Matou._ " Ayame ordered without hesitation. " _Kill the Matou Clan down to the last child, insect, worm, maggot, larva, and egg. Destroy all their materials and property. Wipe their entire misbegotten brood and legacy from the face of this Earth. Restrain Tokiomi Tohsaka. Do not kill him, but destroy his crest. Burn it in front of him and make him watch as his worthless legacy turns to ash._ "

" _It will be done, my lady._ "

* * *

A/N

And with that, Rin and Sakura are safe. Tokiomi will never have the chance to corrupt them into selling their souls to the godless idol that is the path of the magus, nor will he ever have the chance to sell them like cattle all for the heartless goal of sister killing sister to glorify the worthless Tohsaka name. They'll have a mother who truly loves them, who will never abandon them, and will be a true example for them to live up to.

Ayame's interactions (?) with the Einzbern are too…mechanical? Not really; Jubstacheit, Iri, and Illya (and arguably Sella and Leysritt) aside, the Einzbern are all just a bunch of bioroids with no real ability to think for themselves. Ayame just ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL like they were just machines whose OS and other programs can be reset with the proper command codes and protocols fits perfectly.


	8. Part VIII

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part VIII

Tongues of red and gold lapped and crackled through the air, and then with a whoosh of air rushing in to fill a vacuum, died down at gestures from a singed and battered Tokiomi. Steam hissed up from the scorched ground, embers glowing fitfully here and there. Zouken stood nearby, looking remarkably pristine, having simply…absorbed, the heat and force of the blasts and the subsequent inferno with no real or even superficial damage.

"Simple, but effective in its own way." Zouken mused. "Not nearly effective enough, though."

"Perhaps…" Tokiomi said with a cough. In truth, it was costing him quite an effort to preserve his usual façade of stoic control, and he had in fact consumed more than half his prana reserves. He'd have to take…appropriate, measures should he have to continue to fight, as he likely would.

"Here they come." Zouken said, eyes narrowed. "Be ready."

Tokiomi didn't say anything, merely giving a simple but forceful flourish of his cane to demonstrate his resolve. Smoke and steam shrouded both Tokiomi and Zouken alike, and then a figure loomed out of the fog, growing darker and larger as it approached at a run from the front.

No words were said, as both Tokiomi and Zouken launched a preemptive attack. A jet of flame hot enough to burn flesh down to the bone launched itself from the gem crowning Tokiomi's cane, aimed at the approaching figure, while streaks of dark-colored energy lanced from around Zouken and likewise launched themselves at the approaching figure.

The flames and the energy closed…and then the figure jumped up, avoiding the magi's attacks at the last minute. "Impressive, but…!" Tokiomi began, only to break off, wide-eyed, as he saw what was attacking him.

"What…?" Zouken likewise exclaimed, as an Einzbern homunculus arced down, their halberd already raised two-handed.

Both magi sprang away as the homunculus struck the ground with its halberd, the impact shaking the earth and blowing it away to leave a crater several meters deep and across. The force of the impact similarly displaced the surrounding air with a thunderous boom, and buffeted Tokiomi and Zouken alike as they opened the distance.

"Einzbern…?" Tokiomi gasped, his face showing incredulity at the seemingly-inexplicable betrayal. "Why?"

"They've been compromised?" Zouken snarled. "How? Einzbern homunculi are…!"

"Targets confirmed." The homunculus emotionlessly declared. "Commencing elimination."

At those words, more homunculi emerged from the fog, marching in step as they advanced in ordered lines, halberds held diagonally over their chests. Blood-red irises stared ahead as hard as gemstones, eerily-beautiful faces completely devoid of fear or doubt as they prepared to engage their former allies in battle.

Roaring in fury, Zouken counterattacked, seeming to explode into a flower of broken flesh from which emerged vast swarms of winged insects. Likewise, the ground around him erupted with worms, which immediately cocooned themselves and in seconds burst forth yet more winged insects.

The second rank of the phalanx facing Zouken raised their hands, palm outwards as the first rank knelt down. White light shimmered on their palms, and then lanced out as ravening beams of energy. As they approached the oncoming swarm, the beams broke and bent, transforming into a crisscrossing kaleidoscope of light that complete annihilated the swarm of Matou familiars.

As the swarm collapsed under the onslaught, the first rank leapt forward, halberds held at the ready. The second rank then pointed their hands at the ground, and fired. Again, the beams split, piercing the ground and winding surgically through the earth to track and kill each and every worm present therein.

The second and third ranks folded back, stepping into a circular formation as they fought Zouken under the ground. Meanwhile, the fourth and fifth ranks leapt forward as well, joining the fight against Zouken.

On the other side of the battlefield, Tokiomi swept his cane around him as a trio of homunculi leapt at him from three separate directions. " _Erstveröffentlichung._ " He said, and the gem on his cane flashed a blinding red. A moment later and flames exploded around him with a thunderous roar, and engulfing the three attacking homunculi and simultaneously blowing them back.

Moments later and the flames died down, three badly-burned homunculi falling to the ground, weapons dropping from limp fingers. "You underestimate my power." Tokiomi said, addressing the remaining homunculi around him, gathered in trios. "Don't do that."

The homunculi didn't say anything. They simply stared at Tokiomi, and then without a word or shift in expression, another trio leapt forward, spreading out to attack from multiple directions at once. His usual smile returning, Tokiomi lifted his cane, its jewel flashing at a thought.

* * *

Zouken narrowly avoided getting hit by a homunculus' blade – not that it would have really hurt him – and lashing out with a claw-like hand, grabbed the homunculus by the neck. The artificial Human gave a gasp and for the first time showed an expression on his face, of mixed surprise, shock, and confusion. And then he visibly withered, aging and wrinkling up like a prune as Zouken literally sucked the life out of him. Moments later, and only a desiccated corpse was left, even its clothes crumbling into dust, said corpse following moments later as broken bone and dry flesh crumbled away at the lightest touch of the surrounding air.

A halberd stabbed through Zouken's chest from behind with a shower of gore, and then the halberd was crumbling away, impossibly rusting away even as Zouken seemed to melt in on himself, only to reform, only now facing the homunculus which had stabbed him. Stepping closer, uncaring of the weapon even now running him through but already crumbling away, Zouken showed his hand into the homunculus' face.

There was no gore, but the homunculus went limp, and then like his 'brother' began to wither away as Zouken consumed him.

A third homunculus attacked, striking down from above with a powerful swing that literally shattered Zouken's body and the ground beneath. But then the bloody remains of Zouken's body turned into a swarm of insects and jumping warms that threw themselves at the homunculus.

Moving faster than the Human eye could follow, the homunculus swept out with his weapon in a series of precisely-controlled swings. Gore splattered away as insects and worms alike were crushed by the dozen, but there were hundreds of the things, erupting up from the ground despite the efforts of the other homunculi to cleanse the earth of them.

They bit into the homunculus' clothes, chewed into his flesh, and dug into his body in search of nerves and internal organs. The homunculus staggered, blood pouring out of his mouth and countless wounds, and then collapsing began to convulse as the worms began to feast and mate, laying eggs which then hatched more worms which then joined in on the feasting and the mating. Within moments the homunculus' body was gone, leaving only a heaving mass of worms that merged together into a Human-like body.

With a weary-sounding sigh, Zouken stood up from the ground…and then narrowly-dodged a gleaming javelin flung his way. It flew past, striking deep into the ground several meters away.

"What poor aim." The vampire mocked the homunculus which had thrown it from a safe distance. "I expected better…Jubstacheit must be losing his touch."

The homunculus didn't care…but their mistress did. " _So…what's the story?_ " Black and White asked. " _How'd you guys know to bring conceptual weapons specifically tailored for use against Zouken and Tokiomi?_ "

" _It was suspected that the facility going dark was due to betrayal by either Arch-Magus Zolgen or Magus Tohsaka._ " The homunculus replied. " _Even if that was not ultimately the case, it was a prudent measure taken to ensure success in the event it was what had transpired upon investigation. I apologize if we caused offense, as we were unaware at the time that my lady had commandeered the Fuyuki Facility._ "

" _Well…it's not completely wrong._ " Black and White replied. " _I wouldn't be doing this if Tokiomi hadn't…betrayed, his family. Kind of…as Obi-Wan Kenobi might say, it's true from a certain point of view…_ "

Black and White trailed off with a mental snicker, as the homunculus lifted another javelin. Made from electrum around a core composed of a fist-sized sapphire inside a silver ring, the homunculus flourished the conceptual weapon – or rather one part of it – before stepping into a throwing stance. Taking aim, he threw…

…and again Zouken deftly avoided it with a smirk thrown the homunculus' way.

A halberd swung down, and Zouken caught it. Super-strong and super-dense metal alloy rusted and crumbled as Zouken stepped forward, literally melting around and swallowing the homunculus into his body.

The homunculus picked up another javelin, and stabbed it into the ground. " _And that's checkmate._ " Black and White said.

Sapphires glowed and then lightning lashed out from the three javelins, striking at and transfixing Zouken. For the first time since the battle began, Zouken screamed in agony, and thrashed impotently, vainly struggling to get free.

The homunculus now picked up the spear that formed the final part of the conceptual weapon designated the Wave Force Canceler ( _Wellenkraft-Unterdrücker_ ). Like all conceptual weapons, it imposed a concept on a target, and 'crushed' it with said concept. And just as the name implied, that concept was that of 'wave'.

It took advantage of the principle that when two waves with equal differences in individual amplitude met each other, the two waves would completely cancel each other out. The Wave Force Canceler was composed of two components. The first was a trio of javelins that functioned as nodes to isolate a target and find the frequency it existed on, in what modern science would describe as the portion of the vibrations of the quantum superstring that corresponded to its apparent existence.

The second part of the conceptual weapon was the generator for the wave to be imposed on the target, and thus 'cancel' it out. Similar to the javelins, the spear that made up the second part of the conceptual weapon was made of electrum, and with a fist-sized core of sapphire.

Unlike the javelins though, the spear's sapphire didn't have one ring of silver around it, but two, one rotating horizontally and the other vertically. The homunculus watched as they rotated faster and faster, the sapphire glowing brighter and brighter until the rings abruptly stopped, the sapphire in the spear glowing blinding bright.

The weapon was ready.

Taking a stance, the homunculus aimed the spear at Zouken's thrashing figure, and then charged forward. Quickly crossing the intervening ground, the homunculus stabbed the spear into Zouken's chest, and piercing what passed for his heart. The crackling bolts of lightning that sheathed his body seemed to go into a frenzy, and Zouken screamed with utter terror and agony, eyes bulging out of his sockets.

All across the battlefield and beneath the earth, not just here but across the city and in Zouken's other properties across Japan, worms, insects, and other Matou familiars simply ballooned and then exploded in showers of gore. Zouken's puppets fared no better either.

In a Tokyo corporate skyscraper, an obese and bald CEO who had been discussing financial matters in a meeting of top executives simply went into convulsions, as did his equally-obese and bald son sitting to his right. The other executives made to rush to their aid, only to halt in horror and incomprehension as their superiors' bodies ballooned and then exploded in showers of gore.

In a high school classroom in Fukuoka, a fat student went into convulsions in the middle of exams. A moment later and his body ballooned and then exploded in a shower of gore.

Across Japan, molesters of all ages suddenly went into convulsions and died in horrific ways that painted the insides of train cars, stations, terminals, and other public spaces with the colors of Human blood and offal. Random people on the street which Zouken had turned into puppets for one reason or another died the same way, as did those he had appointed to watch over other, spiritually-valuable land he held the deeds for across Japan.

Mysteries erected by Zouken, either in person or otherwise, collapsed in showers of sparks and clouds of released mana. Zouken himself stopped screaming, as his body was literally charred and transmuted into graphite-like carbon composite, burning light shining out through cracks and what had once been his eyes and mouth, before finally, every trace of his existence ceased to be in a massive explosion that sent homunculi and their conceptual weapons flying.

But as debris rained down and the dust began to clear, the homunculi rose, one of them still clutching the smoking spear that had wiped Zouken from existence, at least in this timeline.

" _Oh yeah!_ " Black and White cheered. " _PERFECT FATALITY! Nice work, friends!_ "

The homunculus managed a smile. " _We are honored to be of service, my lady._ " He thought.

* * *

A/N

Someone once complained that I made Zouken too weak in his fight with Ayame. I would say that at the time he was holding back – not realizing until it was too late that with Ayame he really should have gone all out before she could start throwing fairy hax around – but this time…

…he's not holding back. Remember that Einzbern combat homunculi have abilities on par with B-Rank Servants (not including Noble Phantasms), and Zouken was pawning them with no real difficulty. At least until the Einzbern decided to bring a conceptual weapon to bear, and goodbye and good riddance.

Next chapter, Tokiomi gets the beating of his life.


	9. Part IX

Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Ayame/Zero…NOT

Part IX

An explosion ripped a homunculus apart, followed by two others as glowing rubies thrown with precise aim erupted with enough force to collapse a skyscraper. Craters and bloody remains lay strewn across the ground, along with the weapons of the fallen, while a rumpled Tokiomi stood amidst the battlefield. The stoic façade of complete control and elegant success no longer existed, unable to be maintained when facing artificial Humans engineered to have abilities surpassing that which Humans should have.

Tokiomi's clothes were torn in many places, and he'd discarded his cane after a homunculus had broken it in half with a single swing. And while Tokiomi didn't need his cane to use elemental magecraft, its loss greatly reduced the efficiency of his spells, causing them to consume more prana for the same effect.

Unwilling to fight a battle of attrition, which given Einzbern's superior numbers and the limitations of Tokiomi's own magic circuits put him at a massive disadvantage, Tokiomi had been forced to resort to…basic, if powerful mysteries to win. This usually involved throwing gems as magical explosives. Powerful…but crude, and even wasteful.

It was galling for Tokiomi, a harsh blow to his pride that even with all he had achieved as a magus from a lifetime of work, he had to resort to such measures in order to hold out against the treacherous Einzbern.

For their part, the Einzbern homunculi kept their distance. For the most part; three homunculi would attack at any one time, while the rest of them held back, surrounding Tokiomi and cutting off any potential line of escape.

Tokiomi narrowed his eyes as he saw another trio of homunculi shifting their stances, as though preparing to attack. " _This is really wasteful._ " The thought slipped into the minds of the homunculi. " _If you were planning on using conceptual weapons from the beginning, you should have stayed at range, suppressing the enemy with curtain fire while preparing to deploy the appropriate conceptual weapon._ "

" _Standard tactical doctrine dictates…_ "

" _I know what standard Einzbern tactical doctrine states._ " Black and White interrupted with a mental sigh. " _I made a point of completely overhauling it after I took charge…anyway, from the look of things, you guys underestimated Tokiomi Tohsaka._ "

" _That is correct._ " The ranking homunculus said, he and his brothers and sisters slowly stepping forward and then back again, moving always three at a time, in order to prevent Tokiomi from determining who would attack next. " _This level of success was not expected from Magus Tohsaka._ "

" _Well, he **is** a magus._" Black and White said. " _Making miracles happen **is** his business. What else would you call someone like him, an otherwise ordinary Human, not even an arch-magus, able to hold out and even kill a number of combat homunculi who by all rights should be able to fight **Servants** so long as Noble Phantasms aren't used?_"

" _As you say, my lady._ " The ranking homunculus replied. " _It is a…miracle. An improbability so great we had dismissed it…to our present detriment._ "

" _Uh-huh…that's, pretty much it. But we can't afford to lose here. Change of plans, friends. Switch to long-range fire, and suppress Tokiomi Tohsaka with curtain fire. All close-combat units are to hold position, and will only engage should the enemy attack. Engage!_ "

"It will be done, my lady." The ranking homunculus verbally said, before flourishing his weapon and holding out a hand. Prana gathered in his palm, and after a moment lanced out in a powerful beam.

Tokiomi dodged as the beam struck the ground he'd been standing on just a moment ago, and lancing forward gouged a smoking trench through the earth. " _Tone down the artillery fire!_ " Black and White angrily ordered as the other homunculi also opened fire. " _I want him alive!_ "

" _Understood._ " The collective reply came.

The homunculi then turned their hands palm-up, and gathered a ball of prana above. At a thought, small droplets of prana began to fly out at high speed at the target direction, still strong enough to strike divots from the ground, or to batter and heavily bruise flesh, but not enough to kill outside of protracted bombardment.

"GAH!" Tokiomi cried out in pain as he was literally pummeled all over by the Einzbern's bombardment, his coat and trousers being torn to pieces even as he raised his arms to protect his face. Magic circuits flashed as he reinforced his body to minimize the damage, but the rate of fire was too high and there were too many homunculi for it to really matter.

With a snarl of anger, Tokiomi braced himself, feet apart on the ground. Ignoring the pain and the force of multiple impacts, he extended his arms before slapping his hands together in front of him. " _Sperrfeld!_ " he shouted, as his magic circuits flashed.

A translucent dome appeared around Tokiomi, against which the Einzbern barrage splattered harmlessly against. For now, at least: Tokiomi's magic circuits were glowing with the effort to maintain the field, and sweat was visibly running down his face from the strain.

But he wasn't finished. As the homunculi continued the barrage, and Black and White watched through their eyes, Tokiomi began to cast an aria.

" _Uh, guys?_ " Black and White said. " _I'd like to wrap this up quickly, before that son of a bitch forces us to put him down, so where the hell is that conceptual weapon?_ "

" _Please wait a moment, my lady._ " The ranking homunculus said. " _As per your orders, we are attempting to restrain Magus Tohsaka. The initially-deployed conceptual weapon would not facilitate such, and therefore we are currently bringing up the appropriate device from the field depot._ "

" _Hurry it up, then!_ "

" _…bei Wind wird Feuer eingezogen,_ " Tokiomi cast. " _…und bei Wind gelöscht…_ "

As Tokiomi continued to cast and prana began to build around him, four homunculi arrived, carrying large, bulky devices. Setting them up at the corners of a rectangle centered on Tokiomi, they placed their devices, which resembled a small, boxy module attached to and behind a large, half-cylinder that resembled the shields of Roman legionaries.

The homunculi inserted their keys, and powering up the mystic codes, activated them as Tokiomi began the last line of his aria. " _Gib uns…!_ " Tokiomi was saying, but before he could speak the last word and complete his mystery, the Einzbern struck.

The shields began to vibrate at extremely high speed, the air and the earth literally shaking at their perturbations. The homunculi were unaffected, though even they jumped out of the rectangle defined by the Sonic Subjugator's emitters.

Tokiomi crumpled, screaming in pain while clutching at his head, his position in the middle of the Sonic Subjugator's area of effect. The vibrations were keeping him from concentrating, no, more than that he couldn't even think at the pounding of the vibrations, as well as the sheer agony as his body was hammered from the outside and sympathetically vibrated as well.

" _Oh wow,_ " Black and White said, impressed. " _You brought a Sonic Subjugator with you?_ "

" _Yes, my lady._ " The ranking homunculi. " _Should it prove necessary to acquire subjects for questioning it was only prudent._ "

" _True enough._ "

The Sonic Subjugator ( _Sonic-Unterdrücker_ ) was a specialized mystic code developed by the Einzbern with which to capture targets and specimens through the application of sound. It functioned by placing emitter devices in geometric formations around a target/s, and then producing incredibly-powerful vibrations. Caught within the area-of-effect, the target/s would be overwhelmed by the pressure, and sooner or later collapse from the strain and then be subsequently captured.

Tokiomi Tohsaka finally collapsed, and the Sonic Subjugator was turned off. Homunculi warily approached, with halberds at the ready, and prodding the man's body, confirmed he was unconscious.

"Collar him." The ranking homunculi ordered, and a shock collar was placed around the man's neck. Should he attempt to use magecraft, the merest perturbation of his magic circuits would trigger the Collar of Restraint ( _Halsband der Zurückhaltung_ ) which would then administer a powerful electric shock, enough to cause first or even second-degree burns, to force the prisoner to stand down.

" _Wake him._ " Black and White ordered. " _I want him awake for this._ "

The other homunculi nodded, and at a thought the Collar of Restraint was triggered at a low setting. Tokiomi jolted awake with a shout of pain, and after a few moments catching his breath, looked around him. He narrowed his eyes…

* * *

…and then shouted in agony as the Collar of Restraint triggered a full blast, when he attempted to cast a spell. Wisps of steam rose from his neck as he fell forward, twitching as his nervous system revolted from the application of thousands of volts, and then he was being hauled up to his knees.

"Tokiomi Tohsaka," the ranking homunculus began. "I am Gunther von Einzbern, speaking for our great and noble mistress, the Black and White Magician. You stand accused of blood treason, slave trading, misleading the youth, and…being a general asshole. How do you plead?"

"…I don't know what game you're playing," Tokiomi gasped out after a few moments of shock. "But I refuse to play along with it! And whoever this…Black and White Magician is, I say _how dare you_? Don't you know who I am? _I_ am the Second Owner of Fuyuki City, the ranking and recognized magical authority within this territory! I will not stand for this…game, of yours, daring to play judge, jury, and executioner!"

The homunculi made to strike him, but at a gesture from their superior, desisted. Encouraged, Tokiomi continued. "And if we're going to speak of charges," Tokiomi spat. "I would charge _you_ of kidnapping, trespassing on and destruction of private property, breach of secrecy, conspiracy, and murder! What say you to that, Black and White Magician?"

"My lady says you are charged and found guilty of contempt." Gunther said, and the others promptly began to beat Tokiomi. A boot to the gut was followed a blow to the back of the head, and more blows rained down on Tokiomi as he collapsed to the ground. An attempt to use magecraft only resulted in another electric shock, Tokiomi curling up both in agony and to shield his internal organs from the homunculi's blows.

"…bastard…" Tokiomi gurgled out as the beating came to an end, and he was hauled back to his knees. He coughed, causing blood to spray out his mouth, more blood pouring from his nose while his eyes began to swell up from injuries around them.

"Tokiomi Tohsaka," Gunther began. "In the absence of a defense, our great and noble mistress finds you guilty of the charges of blood treason, slave trading, misleading the youth, and being a general asshole. The penalty for such is death, but in her greatness, the Black and White Magician is willing to show magnanimity, and to temper justice with mercy. Therefore, the sentence of death is commuted."

"…you expect me to be grateful?" Tokiomi gurgled, and was met with a hand to the back of his head.

"Instead of death," Gunther continued, gesturing for his subordinates to physically restrain Tokiomi while extending his right arm, torn cloth exposing a faint pattern of lines on his skin: The Tohsaka Magic Crest. "The punishment for your crimes shall be the destruction of your magic crest."

"What…?" Tokiomi whispered, wide-eyed. And then he began to struggle, thrashing and heaving against the trans-Human strength of the homunculi holding him in place as Gunther stepped back, and took his halberd with both hands.

"May the justice of the World account in all balance." Gunther said, and swung down.

Blood fountained and Tokiomi screamed as his arm was struck off from his shoulder. He screamed again as the homunculi crudely cauterized his stump, and again when the Collar of Restraint was used to keep him from falling unconscious out of shock.

"No…please…no…I'm begging you…stop…no…no…NO… **NO** … ** _NO_**... ** _NO_** …!" Tokiomi begged as the homunculi aimed their hands at his arm, and with it, the crystallized legacy of no less than five generations of Tohsaka magi (and through his mother, of the Edelfelt Clan as well).

Prana glowed and Tokiomi screamed with despair and loss, eyes bulging from his sockets as his arm was reduced to ash. For a moment, the circuits of the Tohsaka Crest glowed bright as they bathed in the prana of the Einzbern homunculi, and then they too were gone, burned to ash. Ash that was then scattered to the wind with a gesture from the homunculi, ensuring that there was absolutely no way for the crest to be recovered, much less repaired.

"Justice is done." Gunther said, and as Tokiomi collapsed, weeping in despair, Black and White smiled.

* * *

"Yes," she said, staring down at a catatonic Aoi, mystic eyes glowing. "Justice is done indeed."

* * *

A/N

Hmm…you hear that? That is the sound of Tohsaka's pride being turned to ash, and the shade of a little girl sold like a piece of meat and left to die in torment by her own family no less finally able to rest in peace.

And no, there will be no 'Tokiomi didn't know about the worms' apologist bullshit here, because according to the Urobutcher himself, even if he'd known about the worms, he would _still_ have sold Sakura to Zouken (spits).


End file.
